Dissidia 011: Undecim
by RadiantKeybladeFantasy
Summary: The lives of hero and villain collide in the battle between Cosmos and Chaos during the 11th Cycle of Dissidia. Told through the eyes of eight specific warriors, this is their story...
1. Prologue

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

"_Cosmos - the goddess of harmony, whom summoned warriors to fight for her against Chaos – the god of discord. These warriors of hers showed the greatest potential and strength to stand against Chaos' forces - and she bestowed upon them greater power through crystals. Our force was rather large, consisting of numerous warriors from different worlds no one had ever heard of, yet with the same mission – to eliminate the forces of Chaos and save the world. Why a goddess would need help with such a task, was something none of us could understand. If she couldn't do it…how could we? Despite our disbelief, we had no choice but to try. Her final words as she departed, gave each of us a small flicker of hope that it maybe _was_ possible" – _"Trust yourselves and each other and nothing can defeat you. I believe in all of you."

"_However…not even the goddess of harmony could have prepared us for exactly how major this endeavor was to be…"_

_***Author's Note* - Just so everyone is clear - no! Not all of my stories will have a prologue...only those I feel it necessary for.**_


	2. Hints of Despair

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Hints of Despair**

"_You must find the crystals. When they are all united, only then can you defeat Chaos. The quest for each of you will be long and difficult, but you can overcome and succeed so long as each of you hold true to yourselves and each other as I, too, hold true to you. I wish you all the best and thank you much. May you never falter."_

I woke up to someone saying my name.

"Garnet?" the voice asked softly.

I rolled over to see who it was and saw Bartz. I was a little disappointed in all honesty as I had been hoping it would be _him_. Not once since this all started, had we really even seen each other. Other than that brief moment when we were gathered around Cosmos, it hadn't been anything more than a quick glance. Although, I had to admit – it was at least comforting to know we were both in this together, despite being apart.

I must have been staring as I soon heard Bartz once again.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

He was so sweet; so carefree, calm, and caring…even in the strangest and toughest of times. One had to wonder where he got such veracity – I know _I_ did. I sat up slowly, still a little disillusioned by my dream. Those had been Cosmos' last words to us before our quest for the crystals officially began. From that moment on, we'd each been separated – most of us into teams. I still didn't quite understand why were summoned or the true importance of this quest, but I had to keep believing that it truly was necessary. If I didn't focus on that – there really wasn't anything else to keep me going. It had only just started and I was already feeling heavy about the whole thing.

"I'm fine, Bartz. I promise. Thank you for looking out for me though."

"Hey, I made a promise to Zidane. Nothing will happen to you while you two are apart."

I found myself smiling at his words. It was true – from the moment we were put together, he had been by my side…kind of like glue sticking to – anything really. It was exactly as Zidane would have done, so I had to be grateful for his loyalty. From what I had seen in all of Cosmos' other warriors, he was probably one of the most likeable. Everyone else seemed so…distant, untrusting; the kind of people you really couldn't see yourself opening up to. I hated that, as I felt it strange since we were supposed to be a team, but I guess there are those people whom just can't be easily persuaded. I was going to have to get used to that, I suppose, so I was trying.

"BARTZ! GARNET!" a distant voice shouted.

Bartz and I both turned to see Locke Cole running toward us. Of all people you would think couldn't be trusted, it was him due to being a thief and all. But, then again…I trusted Zidane. Besides, Locke actually had a pretty decent side to him. I don't know how, but somehow…I had gotten grouped with two of the most dependable warriors of Cosmos, much to my surprise and delight. The only thing that could have made it better – was if Zidane had been one of them. Oh well…I was working around that anyway. As long as I saw him again sometime soon, it didn't matter too much.

"There you are. Is she okay?" Locke asked.

"She's fine." Bartz replied.

All I could do was smirk lightly as Bartz helped me stand. That whole time I slept, I'd forgotten where I was until I looked around again. I didn't even remember what had caused me to pass out. Cosmos' voice was all I could recall as it rang in my ears again and again. Our location was a church of sorts with a bed of flowers that had somehow managed to grow right in the middle at the edge of the aisle. Light shined down from a hole in the roof right onto the bed of flowers where I had laid. It was a peaceful place for sure – no wonder I had fallen asleep. I just…didn't remember why, or how.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, two. I guess I…got tired or something."

They looked at me like I was crazy.

"How can anyone sleep at a time like this?" Locke asked.

I forced a light laugh and faint smile.

"I don't know."

Bartz quickly let it go as I finished recollecting myself. He wasn't one to linger on such petty things when there was something _much_ bigger to worry about.

"As long as you're alright. When I first found you lying there, I thought something had happened to you. Glad to know it was nothing major."

"Yeah. I'm totally fine. Promise." I responded.

Was I? Was I really alright? Was it really nothing "major"? Even I couldn't be sure after all that's been going on and that memory of Cosmos that came to me in a dream. It just seemed to me that there was something bigger going on. Something _much_ bigger, that none of us, not a single warrior of Cosmos, could even begin to fathom. Maybe I was thinking too far into things, maybe I was spot on. Either way, I had to keep going if I wanted to find out. But, still…I wasn't sure I really did.

Bartz could see I was struggling with something, despite how I tried to hide it. However, I guess he figured I'd talk about it when I was ready since he started to walk away, with Locke right in front of him.

"Come on. We're not going to find our crystals lingering in a place like this. We have to keep moving. The others are doing their part, we need to as well." Locke stated.

He was so serious, and yet…I actually felt it was more determination than anything. I know that every one of us had their own reasons for fighting, despite our goal being the same. From Locke, however, I got the feeling it was something a little more personal. Yet, no matter what thoughts came to my mind, I couldn't even begin to truly figure out what it could be. All I knew was that anytime Chaos was mentioned…he seemed to suddenly close up and shut everyone out. Whatever it was that drove him, it had something to do with Chaos and his warriors – _that_ much, I was sure of.

I followed them toward the door of the church, glancing back at the bed of flowers shining in the sun's radiant light. I could feel it right then – something was going to happen here very soon. I didn't know when or what, but something. I just didn't know if it would be good or bad. So much racing through my mind lately; I felt so overwhelmed. Then, once again, I was yanked back into reality when a voice called out to me.

"GARNET! COME ON! WE HAVE TO GET MOVING!" Bartz hollered.

I quickly turned around and hurried toward them.

"Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me lately."

Bartz looked at me, seemingly puzzled by my words after having told him nothing was wrong. This led me to realizing my mistake and I hoped I could take those words back. However, he surprisingly left it alone.

"As long as you're okay when I get you back to Zidane, we're fine. Of course, I'll need your help to do that. Don't go wandering off anymore, okay?" he said.

I only nodded. I could tell he was clearly and sincerely concerned about me. I hated that I had worried him so much. The events that led up to my having passed out were just so hazy now. It was deeply troubling that I couldn't remember a thing that happened before then.

We headed out of the church, leaving the building and the flowers it housed behind us. I took a quick glance back one last time. This was an important spot. Its significance would come to light as we continued on our quests. For now though, we just had to get our crystals and meet up with the other warriors of Cosmos. Chaos' defeat was our ultimate goal, and we had to reach it - no matter what it took.


	3. Warriors of Chaos

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Warriors of Chaos**

"_Garland, the Emperor, Kefka, Ultimecia – these were just a few of the warriors chosen by Chaos to fight against the forces of Cosmos. Chosen, too, according to their power, they were recruited for the sole purpose of opposing Cosmos and her warriors. However, those among them had their own, much more malevolent plans – the warriors with such avarice planning to use Chaos for their intentions rather than the other way around. It was a dangerous force, for sure, but it was hard to say truly who was using who. That, much like the actions of our own, would lead a select few to their own demise."_

"It's true. The warriors of Cosmos have begun the search for their precious crystals. It's almost time our plan came into play."

Emperor Mateus stood facing Ultimecia, Garland, and I. He had appointed himself leader of their forces - second to Chaos – and was always sure to be right on top of what the warriors of Cosmos were currently up to.

"The naïve, simple fools. The crystals are nothing more than a petty illusion created by a waning goddess. How futile their attempts are." Ultimecia stated.

The Emperor only smirked at her words. I felt they must have known something about the crystals that I did not. It was somewhat uncomforting to be out of the loop - but nevertheless, I'd learn enough in time.

"They hope to end this conflict and stop the cycle from repeating yet again. They're too blind to see that even the very goddess they fight for knows it's not so simple." Garland said.

He, of all people, clearly knew more than any of them about this never-ending cycle of battle between the gods. He was always so abrupt and puzzling in his words and his seemingly close connection to Chaos himself made him even more a curious enigma. Garland was withholding a secret from everyone – something darker than even any other warrior of Chaos. Whatever it was though, he had no apparent intention of even hinting at.

The Emperor scoffed at the petty attempts the warriors of Cosmos were making. The fact that they were playing right into the ways of the never-ending cycle of battle only made him more confident.

"The poor fools. They are nothing more than tools; mere pawns in the schemes and will of the gods. Surely it takes any being with so little knowledge of things such as this to believe that something so small as gathering some crystals would end a conflict that has raged on for eons to no end. It's actually rather amusing. Those insects think they can save the world or something."

He laughed at his own words and we, too, found ourselves doing the same. It was rather funny that anyone could think something as big as this cycle could be ended just like that. After all, even the gods couldn't end it after all this time. They were still going at it, hoping at some point that the other would fall. It was no wonder we couldn't help but laugh.

Garland was the only one whom didn't seem to get too much amusement out of the Emperor's words. Then again…he was also in his own state of mind all the time. He never paid much attention to anyone or anything unless it involved Chaos, the Warrior of Light, or something he referred to as the "Great Will". They had yet to grasp what that meant exactly.

"All goes according to the cycle itself and the Great Will. The poor, pathetic pawns have yet to understand that they will never see their goal accomplished. The mere thought of ending this conflict is nothing more than a vivid illusion; a hollow hope devoid of any purpose."

The Emperor looked at Garland for a moment. It was easy to see he was still weary of him – especially whenever he mentioned that "Great Will", which he did often.

"…Yes. The goddess couldn't end it. What on earth makes them think _they _can? It should be a rather interesting show for sure."

Ultimecia turned right then and looked at me.

"What are your thoughts on this, Seymour? Surely, you must have some opinion about their little endeavor to stop the cycle – especially since that young summoner is fighting for Cosmos."

I closed my eyes and turned away for a moment. Yuna – the daughter of High Summoner Braska and a summoner herself now. She'd been recruited by Cosmos into the cycle of battle and stood as my main opposition. It felt weird to be the one to stand against her directly, but at the same time – it wasn't like I really had a heart about such things.

I looked at Ultimecia and the others again and finally spoke.

"There are really no words left to describe how completely preposterous I believe this all is. Chaos and Cosmos – discord and harmony are made to balance each other out. Of course, it goes without saying that the removal of one would leave the world to the whims of the remaining. It's plain to see why Cosmos and her warriors would fight such a useless battle. However, they do appear to remain blissfully ignorant of the true power in control of this cycle."

"Shinryu - the very being responsible for the constant rebirth of the conflict. It is because of him that we have been forever locked in this endless struggle. As long as it's his will, this conflict will continue to carry on for many more eons." the Emperor said.

Ultimecia cut her way back into the conversation again.

"Each new cycle has resulted in the warriors of Cosmos to undergo a kind of permanent memory wipe. None of them remember any of the previous struggles and, due to this, can not recall exactly how many times Cosmos has sent them on the hopeless quest – each time so far failing to acquire the crystals they all so greatly desire."

"Further proof that they're nothing more than pawns of the gods and the Great Will." Garland said.

The Emperor walked forward until he was out in front of all of us and looked up to the sky.

"Pity on the poor tools. The goddess they so greatly trust and follow has been using them since the very beginning, never failing to get their hopes up for putting an end to this whole thing. If only they were so fortunate as to be able to recall even a flicker of their past endeavors. But, alas…the rules of the cycle, and Shinryu, make sure of no such thing."

He turned around slowly and faced us again. He had a more proud expression on his face then before and was clearly thinking far into things.

"I say we let the insolent pawns go on their way for now. If we leave them to believe they stand such a chance, it would be easier for us. Wouldn't you agree?"

Ultimecia just laughed lightly while Garland looked at him in silence. I, however, just kept thinking about Yuna - the young summoner from my world of Spira whom had yet to know anything of the truth behind these events and exactly what she'd been pulled into. Though, maybe it was because of that very thing that I was looking forward to meeting up with her. I wanted to see exactly how much she had grown as a summoner. Surely her comrades were quite impressed by her ability to summon aeons to fight for her. She was by far the most unique warrior of Cosmos.

"All we really have to do is wait for Shinryu to make his move. Until then, I think it might be fun to watch them in this senseless and amusing venture of theirs. And, I'm sure the manikins will be more than happy to entertain them for the time being." Ultimecia said.

She quickly disappeared with the Emperor following behind her right away.

Garland and I stood still in silence for a moment.

"Chaos falling to such worthless rubble; I die of laughter at the mere thought." Garland stated.

He disappeared as well, his laugh echoing throughout the area as I now remained alone. It was time I, too, took his part in this. I walked out to wait for the opportune moment to meet up with my summoner friend once again. I was going to be sure it was a meeting worthy of the end of her great struggles.


	4. Quest for the Crystals

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Quest for the Crystals**

"_A castle-like structure atop an airship of sorts – they called it the Sky Fortress Bahamut, where our journey to find our crystals began. By "our", I mean Firion, Tifa, and Kain Highwind. And then, there was me, of course."_

"Rinoa?" Firion asked.

I quickly turned my head to look at him.

"Hmm?"

He immediately had a look of apology for seemingly scaring me.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You've been staring at the sky constantly. Something on your mind?"

I was a little embarrassed at myself. I hadn't realized I had done it so many times, but even Tifa and Kain's faces said that was the case.

"We're worried about you. Is there something wrong?" Tifa asked.

She had a tone of sincerity in her voice. I thought we could have been sisters at times – that is, had we grown up in the same world. I felt so guilty for worrying them like this. Nothing was wrong, I had just gotten lost in my own world from the beautiful environment around us…even though we were in the sky. Still…it was peaceful. And if something really _had_ been wrong, I'd surely have told them. I wasn't one to keep things bottled up inside. Squall could have clarified that – had he been here with us.

Alas, Squall had gotten matched up with a different band of warriors. Then again, that probably wasn't true. If anything, Squall was alone and proud of it. He was a loner after all. He preferred to work alone, probably one reason being so as not to get dragged into the problems of those around him. It was something I had always tried to work out of him, but some things you just can't change in a person.

I looked at my friends and smiled.

"I'm sorry to worry you, but really…you have nothing to fret about. I'm fine. I promise. I didn't realize I was troubling you so much. I'll be more aware of that now."

They looked at me for a moment, still a little hesitant to just let it go. Still, there were more important things to worry about, so we continued on our way.

"So…how do we find these crystals anyway?" Tifa asked.

We all thought for a moment as we kept on walking – with no real destination in mind. We just let our feet take us wherever they led. Real wise thinking in a war of sorts, I know, but…that's just how it was for now. Until we could really understand, that was really the only way for us to move. After all, there had been no clear explanation given by Cosmos before we set off. We had to figure things out for ourselves for the most part.

"I'm not sure. But, we can't keep walking around aimlessly without being on our guard."

Kain's words left us all a little confused, to say the least. He was a – somewhat friendly guy, but at times…he was so blunt and serious. It made him hard to be around sometimes.

"What do you mean by that?" Tifa asked.

"We can't honestly expect our quest to be this simple and straightforward. Sooner or later, there's bound to be trouble ahead. We can't afford to have our efforts hindered."

We thought about what he said and realized he was right. No one from Chaos' forces had bothered us yet, but we had taken that too lightly. We immediately saw the foolishness in such actions. Surely, if Chaos' forces were our adversaries, they would try to do everything they could to prevent us from our reaching our goal.

"You're right. We can't keep moving forward believing there won't be anything to stand in our way. Chaos is our enemy and surely he has intentions of ill-will for us."

I looked at Firion and Tifa with a straight face. It felt weird since I was usually such a happy, fun-loving person. This was a rare moment – or so I thought.

"We have to be ready. We all have an enemy with Chaos' forces, and in Chaos himself."

I stared at the ground for a moment as I grabbed the pendant around my neck; her face coming to my mind at that moment. Ultimecia – the witch with control over time and space. She had been recruited by Chaos to fight for his side and Squall and I stood to oppose her. I wasn't sure why, but every time she came into my mind, I found myself shivering. I felt light and weak - a feeling I couldn't even begin to understand. It was like I was no longer a living being, like I was just…a presence; a bodiless entity fading from existence. It terrified me to even begin to try and comprehend what that meant – so I didn't think about it. I quickly lifted my head and looked back at my friends.

"I'm sure if we keep going the way were are - prepared, of course – we'll soon find the crystals. Cosmos told us to hurry, so we should keep moving."

Kain and the others only responded with a nod. It was fortunate I was with a group that was so clear-headed and focused. We found time to joke, even in such a situation as this, but you had to hand it to us for still being able to stay on track of our mission.

"Yes. The others are looking for their crystals as we speak. We must make haste and meet up with them and Cosmos. Come on!" Firion said.

Despite his friendly personality and inviting nature, Firion still knew how to be a leader. It was comforting to be traveling with him, as he was always ready for anything – well, minus that blind foolishness toward danger that he, Tifa, and I allowed ourselves to fall victim to until the past few minutes. Besides, he was real skilled with a bunch of weapons. You couldn't call him ill-equipped.

We started to move forward when a strange phenomenon occurred. A figure, the appearance somewhat familiar, appeared before us. No, it wasn't just one – another had appeared right away as well.

"What?"

We all stared in shock as we realized what they were - crystal-like beings with creepy, solid-colored eyes, each coated with a different color. One looked like Tifa, another like Firion, another like Kain, and the last one like me.

"Manikins!" Tifa said.

"Looks like Chaos wasted no time. You know what to do." Firion said.

We prepared to fight – Kain with his lance, Firion with his sword, Tifa braced her fists, and I pulled out my Blaster Edge. It was going to be my first fight as a warrior of Cosmos. I panicked a little and a feeling of doubt and worry came over me for a moment. Kain's words, however, brought me back and filled me with courage.

"We can take them. Don't get discouraged. Chaos and his forces must be defeated. Do NOT forget our mission. Cosmos believes in us. We must hold to that."

We all nodded knowing he was right and prepared to take on the four manikins. It was rather freaky to see those eerie, solid eyes glaring back at us. It was like they were piercing our souls with their cold stares. I shivered slightly again upon looking at them.

"_Focus. You can do this."_ I told myself.

I wasn't hopeless and defenseless and I knew that. I'd just never fought such strange beings before. It was just…new really. But, just the same, Kain was right. They had to go down if we wanted to get the crystals and that's what was going to happen.

"LET'S GO!" Firion shouted.

We rushed toward the manikins as our fight ensued. The rush I felt inside me as we ran was actually quite nice! I knew right then I really_ could_ do this. It was just a manikin; a fake me. No way I was about to let myself lose this fight!

"HAAAA-AAH!"


	5. Warnings of Fate

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Warnings of Fate**

"_We kept moving forward aimlessly. Much to my surprise, I found myself beginning to get restless. Don't know why I cared enough to though, since after all…everything that had happened in my life so far had come from me just – happening upon the right place at the right time. My friends, Laguna and Vaan, didn't seem to be disoriented by the fact that we had no real idea of what to do either. Oh! Right! Name's Snow – Snow Villiers; a warrior of Cosmos and symbol of hope for the world! I guess one could call us "heroes"!"_

"What are you laughing about?" Vaan asked.

"Huh?"

I looked at him, not realizing I'd actually laughed…at least not loud enough to be heard.

"Oh, uh…nothing really, just…getting pumped for our mission. Bring it on!"

I smacked my fists together proudly and Laguna and Vaan didn't seem to understand me one bit as I caught a quick glance of them exchanging looks of confusion.

I turned around to look at them.

"So…either of you have any idea where we start looking?"

They thought for a moment – one of Laguna's strong points. I figured one of them had to have an idea. Unfortunately, I wasn't that fortunate.

"Mmm…not really. There's no clear path to take. Besides, this world is hard to navigate, as I'm sure we've all noticed." Laguna said.

Vaan's words weren't any more encouraging, much to my dismay.

"Well, Cosmos said the quest for each of us will be long and difficult. So, I can't imagine we'll find them anytime soon even if we were in the right place already. I just…can't figure out exactly what that means. I mean, it won't be easy, obviously, but…what about it could be so difficult? I'd say the hardest part is actually finding the crystals. Maybe that was all she meant."

That made sense to me. Just find the crystals – simple as that. How could it be hard? Maybe saying such was just Cosmos' way of not getting our hopes up. After all, why would the goddess of harmony – all things good basically, discourage us in any way? It just didn't make sense to me, so I figured there was no way that was likely.

"Alright, then, easy enough. Let's find them and hurry back!"

I started to turn around and continue walking when I heard Laguna speak again.

"Wait, Snow."

I turned back toward him and looked at his expression. He had his head turned slightly to the side and downward a little. His eyes were closed – he was about to get all fatherly on us again.

"We don't know what's out there. Cosmos wouldn't give such forewarnings if she didn't truly believe something wouldn't try and foil our attempts. We shouldn't just rush into this kind of thing. Do you think the others are getting by with such irrational thinking?"

I didn't know what to think. What could be so irrational about it? Cosmos wanted us to find the crystals and we could defeat Chaos. She had said it herself, so why was he was on edge with this?

He looked at me somewhat coldly for moment. It felt weird. Laguna was older than a lot of us, so most of the warriors saw him somewhat as a father to everybody…even me – which was comforting since I didn't have one. At the same time though, I kind of wished he'd relax a little.

"There's a lot we still don't know. I'm sure Cosmos left gaps for us to fill in as we went along. She may have confidence in us, but I'm sure she also intended for us to think things through; be vigilant and act accordingly to our situations."

Vaan and I didn't know what to say to that. He had totally stumped us and his words felt like a brick to the head – a real party-pooper, they were honestly.

Vaan looked at Laguna with an apologetic look. Clearly, his words had struck him, too, but…in a different way.

"I never knew you were such a deep thinker, Laguna. What do you think we need to be aware of exactly?"

Laguna looked ahead a little as he appeared to be thinking some more.

"Chaos. He is our enemy after all, right? We don't know what kind of power he wields, so we don't know what he's capable of. However, I'm sure he's not our sole concern. Don't forget…he also has warriors of his own. It's our job to see they don't get their way – whatever that may be."

Vaan and I looked at each other for a moment and then I, too, realized he was right. Laguna clearly was the most sensible of all the warriors of Cosmos. Well, except maybe Warrior of Light, whom seemed to be quite informed of everything that was going on. It was like…ah, I couldn't even begin to touch that subject. I decided to leave it alone right there.

Vaan looked up at the sky. There was a lot of thinking going on and to be honest…it was really draggin' me down. These guys were real riots, for sure.

I decided to start moving forward again. They could call me reckless as much as they wanted, but we weren't getting anywhere staying still either.

"Hey! Snow! Where are you going?" Vaan hollered.

I turned around halfway – just enough to see _him_ alone.

"I don't know where to find these crystals Cosmos sent us to collect, but I know we're not gonna find them just standing here. I'm getting on my way like before. Later!"

I continued walking – thinking maybe they'd decide to follow me. Much to my dismay, I only heard Laguna's voice once again.

"Snow, you don't know what's out there. You can't expect everything to be simple, easy, and straightforward. We're fighting a war between the gods of harmony and discord. The smallest of mistakes can have drastic results."

His voice had a hint of aggravation in it – that was too hard to miss. Still…it didn't really bother me this time.

"I can handle myself. I'll be fine. No worries!"

I smirked and gave them a quick thumbs-up as I kept moving. If we had to find the crystals, I was going to do whatever it took. I wasn't sure what about me made everyone think I was apparently so incapable, but I was ready to take on whatever came my way. I was sure of that.

Vaan watched me leave and let out a sigh as he looked at Laguna.

"We should go with him. I mean – we are a team after all, aren't we?"

Laguna seemed a little irritated for the first time we could recall, but Vaan was rather happy to find that he agreed. He was a reasonable person, but being one of the oldest of our forces – he just felt he had a responsibility, I guess. He felt it was his job to keep us "kids" in line and out of trouble. Apparently, he found I needed extra attention…or something.

"Right. Let's go." he said.

Before he and Vaan could take two steps, something happened.

"Wait!" Laguna ordered.

He held Vaan back as they watched some strange, crystal-looking beings appear in front of me. I, myself, didn't know what to think as I looked at them in shock.

"What the-?"

Laguna immediately took action and ran in my direction.

"Come on!"

Vaan quickly followed him and they made their way to my side in seconds flat.

We stared at the crystal doppel-gangers of ourselves. They were strange for sure. It was too hard to believe they were actually real. I didn't know what to make of this situation.

"Uh…what were these things called again?"

"Munchkins, I think it was?" Laguna answered.

Vaan drew out his sword as he stared at the beings before us.

"Manikins." he said.

I looked at the weird, crystal-like creatures for a moment. It was too weird to accept just yet.

"Don't suppose they could be here to…put us on the right path, do ya'?"

I watched as both Vaan and Laguna drew their weapons, shrugging a little as I understood.

"Didn't think so."

I prepared to fight as well as we stared the manikins head on, exchanging glares with those eerie, evil eyes. It made me feel…strange, to say the least.

"They must be with Chaos; what Cosmos warned us of." Vaan said.

Laguna didn't reply – obviously knowing he was right and that we should have listened to him before.

The manikins didn't say much, but just the same – we knew what they wanted from us now as they took the first move, charging at us with vicious relentlessness.

"Brace yourselves!" Laguna hollered.

"_The manikins' actions as our fight began – I should have known right then what that meant."_


	6. Setting the Stage

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Setting the Stage**

"_Meanwhile, restlessness was already rising among Chaos' forces. While some were intent to sit back, waiting; knowing our guard would drop in time – others were growing impatient; ready to act and annoyed at the seemingly useless and cowardly acts of the rest. Emotion was slowly becoming one of our enemies…but, it was too soon to realize."_

Kefka was going crazy when I told him the news.

"I can't believe they'd choose to sit back and do nothing, even if it's just for the time being. We're wasting valuable time – time we could be using more for fun instead of this boring course of "action"."

It was hard to believe this guy was a villain. He was far too hasty and excitable to fit the description. Yet – his psycho personality and yammering about destruction are what made Chaos choose him, I suppose. Still…I couldn't quite go for it. I knew someone else whom couldn't either.

"Who says we have to follow along with their boring plans? Let's go at it our own way and do some real damage. I want to put my secret weapon into action! It's about time it saw some use after all."

He was clearly impatient and I didn't think he'd be able to hold back anymore. Sooner or later, he was going to crack – more than usual.

Kuja walked up just then upon hearing Kefka's voice from the other end of the Pandaemonium; another person who was crazy – but, in a different way. Where did Chaos recruit these guys from?

"You blabbering clown. I find myself agreeing with the others for a change." he said, much to our surprise.

Kefka and I looked at him, not quite grasping what he had just said. There was no way Kuja could be siding with The Emperor and Garland. This stunned Kefka so much he actually found himself stumbling over his words.

"I-I, well…blabbering?"

He was angry and shocked by Kuja's words towards him. I wanted to laugh, since it _was _true, but - I just didn't have it in me…at least not for this particular event.

Kefka regained himself and looked at Kuja.

"Oh? And, just what exactly could this gain us? Those stupid warriors of Cosmos would gain they're crystals and band together to defeat Chaos. We're just supposed to sit back and WATCH?" he shouted.

A sly grin formed on Kuja's face as he laughed a little.

"You fool. Lying in wait for the lackeys of Cosmos to believe they've got the upper-hand and will be able to eliminate Chaos, only leaves way for a remarkable show. That in turn, will result in a magnificent grand finale – brought to you by yours truly. Oh, I cannot wait!"

He laughed again, hysterically, as he floated in the air.

"I will show them all, every warrior – Cosmos and Chaos alike – that I, Kuja, am the grand master - and the world, the whole of it…my stage. I will put on a finale that _no one_ will forget! Starting with that goodie-goodie, Zidane. He'll be _first_!"

He laughed once more, but this time…it was getting annoying. I held my head as I could feel an ache coming on. Someone had to shut him up – and soon.

Kuja looked at me upon noticing my reaction to him.

"And, what's your plan, Seymour? You keep to yourself quite often. Do you not have any qualms with those annoying pests of Cosmos'?"

I didn't reply right away. I only had one true concern. I didn't care much for theirs, or anyone else's, for that matter. Like them, however, I was just waiting for the right moment. It had to be perfect, of course.

"No comment." I said, looking to the side with his eyes closed.

Kefka didn't let it go so easily, much to my chagrin.

"What do you mean by THAT? You have no ideas? No intentions of destruction, defeat, or even-"

"I have intentions, but I choose not to trouble myself with sharing them with you two. Just because you've practically shared yours, doesn't mean I'm bound to do the same. My plans are mine alone."

Kefka couldn't believe what he'd heard – and he couldn't resist trying to understand. I started to walk away when I heard Kefka speak again.

"But, they're warriors of Cosmos - nothing but a bunch of "holier-than-thou, no-good, goodie-two-shoes. You don't even want to have a little fun with them?"

His voice cracked as he finished speaking. I couldn't tell whether he was about to cry, or laugh with hysteria…again.

I looked back at the two of them as I stopped walking for a moment.

"Go ahead. Take your "secret-weapon" and have your fun. What do I care? If you're so against their decisions - follow your own, like you said. I'm just not participating. I have other things to take care of. Good-bye."

I walked off, leaving them behind without a care. I had my own plans and ideas and no one needed to worry about them, but me. MY focus was Yuna, and I was not going to lose track of that.

Before I got out of there completely, I heard Kuja shout to me from the other side of the area.

"Oh, Seymour! Don't forget to try and catch my big finale when the time comes. It'd be such a shame if you weren't there to bask in my glorious moment of stardom. I'll give you front row access! What do you say?"

I laughed lightly to myself at his words. Clearly, neither of them could see the full picture. I wasn't interested. I was only there for one reason – and nothing would detract my attention from it.

I only had one real concern…the fact that Yuna was under the protection of her fellow warrior, Jecht. I had to find a way to separate them in order to carry out my intentions. But, how could I that? I actually had no idea. What was the one thing that both of them were tied to? Something that could divide their attention and leave an opening for my strike.

I thought for a moment. There had to be something – something I hadn't considered. Then…it hit me. I couldn't help but laugh. It was a glorious plan; a real show-stopper, for sure. I now had the means to successfully carry out my plan and fulfill my goal. The best part…Yuna would never know what hit her – before _I_ did.


	7. Soldiers' Resolve

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Soldiers' Resolve**

"How many is that so far?" Lightning asked, rhetorically, as she collapsed her blade back into its holster.

We'd been fighting manikins for the last twenty minutes. We had no idea exactly where they came from, but we knew _who_ they came from.

"I'm not exactly sure. I'm still on the whole "why do they look like me?" question." I said.

I stepped forward as I thought for a moment. Now, things were really coming to light and Cosmos' words were starting to make more sense. Still…that didn't really make it much easier to grasp.

"Fight after fight. Do you think this is what Cosmos meant?"

Lightning sighed and turned toward me slowly.

"Could be. Humans alone can't stand against a god, so Cosmos sent us to find these crystals that supposedly are our only chance of ending this. It makes sense that Chaos would use any means necessary to stop us at any turn. I just can't believe the god of discord would think of something as pathetic as cheap imitations. Is that the best he's got?"

She dropped her head and stared at the ground as she mumbled something to herself.

"No. It can't be."

I looked at her, trying to get an idea of what was going through her mind. Lightning was an enigma for sure. She never let anyone in; know what she was thinking or feeling. Even those she could call her comrades, she felt weren't in the right to know such things. I didn't quite understand what was up with all the secrecy amongst all of us. Weren't we supposed to be able to trust each other?

"So…what'd you come up with, Lightning?" I asked, hoping maybe she'd snap out of her mood.

"What?" she asked.

She looked at me, appearing somewhat angry – like it was a problem I'd asked her a question. Then again…was it? She was so hard to read, I couldn't say for sure.

"You just seem like you've got something on your mind. I wanted to know if you'd come to a conclusion."

She turned her head away from me for a moment and I began to think it _was_ a problem I'd asked. This was the problem with no one opening up to each other. It's kind of hard to know these things about someone when they won't give you the time of day. I'd never gotten that before, so it was…refreshing – sort of. People had always found they could trust me for one reason or another. Lightning, however…well, I never guessed our travels together would be like this.

"Well…I'd never have expected something like those…"manikins" to come along. And, to be honest…I'm still not sure what we're really doing here. Why would the goddess of harmony need humans to fight this battle for her? How does she expect us to pull off what she apparently couldn't? Can we really believe finding these crystals is going to make this pointless struggle for survival end? I don't buy that. There's something no one is telling us and I refuse to fight some uncertain battle until I know the full details. From _my_ experience, there's always something else really going on; something or some_one_ pulling the strings."

I could hear it in her voice – she was clearly aggravated by this whole thing. I could kind of see why she would be, but at the same time…we couldn't be sure it was how she said. Just because we'd fought a bunch of crystal look-alikes that turned out to be really bad fighters, she came to _that_ conclusion? Apparently, despite her cold personality, she was a really profound thinker.

As I stood there staring, wondering what else she might come up with, I heard her say something else.

"Oh. And, Zack…call me Light."

"Huh?" I asked, not sure of what to think of her words.

She looked at me. Apparently, she could tell what I was thinking due to what she said next.

"It means I trust you, okay? Now you know. You don't have to worry about being too…personal or whatever with me anymore."

She started to walk forward as I watched her, thinking on her words. She trusted me. Now, we were getting somewhere. It took her a while to open up this whole time, but at least it was finally beginning to seem worth it. Sure, she was still a bit cold, but I was now convinced that would become less of a problem given time.

"You coming or not?" she asked.

"Yeah." I replied with a nod.

I quickly followed her as we continued on our way. I had no idea where we were going next, but Lightning seemed to have a destination in mind – at least I hoped. Just because the wall she'd built around herself had somewhat dissipated upon gaining her trust, that didn't mean I could figure her out anymore than originally. I kept on moving forward with her. Besides, I was just as determined to figure this whole thing out as she was.

"So...about that sword you've got? What's the deal?" she asked.

I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You know. Why's it so big and all? I've never seen a sword that size in my life." she said.

I laughed a little. Even if she didn't mean it, Lightning could be funny. It just took the right kind of person to realize when she was doing it.

"It's one-of-a-kind, for one. It's only issued to the top SOLDIER."

I put my hand around the handle of my Buster Sword for a second.

"Zack Fair. SOLDIER: First Class." I said, smiling.

She looked at me for a moment. I couldn't tell if she thought I was being arrogant or if she wanted to laugh. I hoped I hadn't suddenly made a big turn-off. Thankfully, she just laughed lightly to herself and kept moving forward, walking past me a little as she spoke again.

"What do you know? Funny how things work out."

Her words caught me off-guard. I wasn't quite sure I was following right.

"How so? Are you-"

"Sergeant Farron. Back home – I'm a member of the Guardian Corp." she quickly replied.

She looked at me with a slight smile.

"I'm a soldier, too."

I found myself a little amused by this. It seemed obvious in retrospect due to what she was wearing.

"Small world." I said, smiling lightly to myself.

Lightning only grunted lightly as we continued onward. We needed to get to the bottom of things if we had any hope of knowing exactly what all of this was truly about. On top of that – we still had to find our crystals.

I was somewhat hesitant to ask her another question, but at the same time…I felt it necessary.

"So, where exactly are we going?"

Lightning looked up at the sky as she thought for a moment.

"No idea yet. But, one thing I _do _know…I am _not_ going to be a pawn in a gamble for our lives. My life is not some token you can waste on games, and not even the gods are an exception. No matter what our fate in this battle may be, I am not going to be a victim of circumstance. _I_ control my fate."

It was evident I tapped on thin ice with the subject. I had been afraid of that, but still…I just wanted to know. I should have known the answer would have been more than I bargained for. Maybe this was going to take a bit longer than I had begun to think.

Lightning sighed and looked at me with a hint of apology.

"Sorry. It's not you I'm mad at. I have this tendency to take my anger out on the nearest person. Some of the people I've done it to – it's filled me with unbearable regret. I told myself I wouldn't do it anymore. I guess some things are hard to change." she mumbled.

I shrugged it off. It was really no big deal to me honestly. Something told me I'd seen that kind of thing in someone else before, too. Someone I used to know, but…I couldn't remember a thing about them. I began to think I was making the whole thing up and didn't bother trying to figure out the faint memory that appeared to be returning.

"No problem. Let's go." I said.

Lightning nodded in agreement.

"Right."

_"We headed off to another location – whatever and wherever that might be. Manikins, minions, and even Chaos himself; whatever it was that came our way, we were going to fight until we found the answers we were looking for. Little did I know, however…Lightning's intentions were far beyond what I could have expected."_


	8. A Plan Too Good

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Plan Too Good**

"_We all kept advancing in our quests – and the further along we got, the more anxious Chaos' warriors became. Everything was going exactly as they'd planned, and we had no idea we were playing into their hands. No one could truly foresee how this would end...but, they were determined; certain things would end in their favor - and were willing to do all they could to make sure they did."_

Exdeath appeared before Ultimecia and the Emperor.

"Exdeath. We don't see you too often. What brings you here now?" Ultimecia asked.

"The manikins. Every one of them so far has fallen at the hands of Cosmos' warriors. They're suspicion as to the truth continues to rise with every victory." Exdeath replied.

The Emperor was, again, hardly affected by such words. He was certain nothing could go wrong; that nothing could possibly allow for Cosmos' forces to get their way. It was all a part of his plan – and his plans _never_ failed.

"So…it seems Cosmos' warriors are stronger than we expected. Clever little bugs – you've got to admire their determination. Or rather…their foolishness." he said, as a smirk formed on his face.

Exdeath wasn't entirely aware of the intentions they and other comrades of his had, but he was willing to go along with what he _did_ now. Treachery was at large amongst the forces of Chaos – _that_ was of no misunderstanding.

"While they are still a ways from even obtaining a hint of the crystals' whereabouts, they nevertheless are proving a bit more of a threat than anticipated. We do not quite know what they may do next." he stated.

Ultimecia folded her arms. Clearly, she agreed with the Emperor and felt that Exdeath was thinking too far into things. She had confidence in the plan, too – as she helped to concoct it.

"You're rather amusing, to say the least, Exdeath. I never knew you to be the comedic type."

"What?" he asked.

Ultimecia laughed to herself as Exdeath's reaction to her words not only puzzled him, but further proved his ignorance of the others intentions. She couldn't pass up the opportunity that was obviously before her.

"The warriors of Cosmos are nothing more than falsely led tools placed perfectly in position for a checkmate. They're playing right into everything exactly as intended - and they aren't even aware of it. Your worry over their so-called power and potential is of little concern to us." she explained.

She dropped her hands to her side as she looked at Exdeath head on.

"They're nothing put pawns in a game between the gods – its conclusion inevitable and at the hands of Shinryu. We've no need to fear in the least. No matter what happens, the warriors of Cosmos cannot change the fate of this cycle – or, their own."

She looked at the Emperor with a sly expression and he replied in the same manner.

Exdeath, however, still wasn't quite convinced. Even if they sounded so sure, nothing could be as certain as they claimed – could it? He decided it'd be best if he just left and instead, also chose to watch the actions of Cosmos – and Chaos – until he could prove that his thoughts were accurate. Ultimecia and the Emperor were up to something – and he was going to find out what it was.

"I see. I, too, shall then wait. I also have an interest in how things will play out." he said.

He quickly departed, leaving the Emperor and Ultimecia to look at each other again.

"That thing is a curious one indeed. Perhaps…_too_ curious, in fact." Ultimecia said.

The Emperor kept staring where Exdeath had stood moments ago.

"He's up to something. I could hear it in his voice. That deceitful bug could prove to be a fork in our plans, if we aren't careful."

He looked at Ultimecia again.

"We must watch him – closely. I will not tolerate for anything to go awry." he said.

Ultimecia smirked at the Emperor's words. It was, of course, the perfect opportunity to also catch the traitors amongst them in action. She couldn't resist but to go along.

"Consider it done. We've no use for the foolish and weak now, do we?" she said, with malice in her voice.

The Emperor looked ahead as with a straight face as the mere thought of something, or someone, ruining the very plans he'd so carefully laid secretly filled him with rage.

"No. We certainly don't." he said.

At that moment, someone walked up behind them and they turned to see who it was. They're faces dropped at the sight of the person, as it was the one they were most suspicious of out of all.

"Hmph…" the Emperor grunted.


	9. Harmony Distraught

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Harmony Distraught**

"_Things were coming to light, both good and bad, and everyone was beginning to feel it – some more than others. Despite our words and hopes that everything would be okay, deep down – we all knew something was amiss. Something was going on that none of us could bear the thought of. We should have known how bad it really was…when Cosmos herself could feel it."_

Warrior of Light approached Cosmos as she sat silently in her seat in Order's Sanctuary.

"Cosmos…" he said.

Cosmos closed her eyes and lowered her head, taking a deep breath as she slowly rose to her feet. Something was clearly wrong, but she didn't seem willing to say what it was. Not even _she_ wanted to believe things were as so.

"I feel…Chaos. His power is growing over time and his warriors themselves are of no exception. There is great danger encroaching upon us. I'm afraid…even I cannot stop what is to come." she said, lowering her head in shame.

Warrior of Light looked at Cosmos in silence. He had a straight face - he was calm. Whether or not Cosmos' words bothered him, was unclear. He was a man of great integrity, will, and strength. Not much could faze him, and he never gave anything much of a chance to either.

"I understand. Still…we cannot give up. If Chaos is truly becoming stronger, it is our job to find these crystals – and quickly. The sooner we can get them together, the sooner we can stand against him and his forces. We can finally end this conflict fully and completely." he stated.

Cosmos shook her head in response. It was clear to her he was not hearing what she said.

"No. Chaos is becoming too powerful for even the power of the crystals to withstand him. Defeat may very well be…inevitable. My power in and of itself – stands a faint chance. If there was any hope for this conflict…all has faded." she replied.

Cosmos was clearly firm in her beliefs and words towards this conflict. Still, even as the goddess of harmony herself said so – Warrior of Light refused to let such break his confidence and determination. If there was any one of them whom had such fiery courage and strength…it was him.

"I do not believe this conflict cannot be ended. Though our struggles have been great and never-ending, everything must come to and end – that includes this conflict. Your words of how you believed in us and wished we'd never falter, have stuck with all of us since this began. The fact that you, our goddess, now have found it in you to succumb to despair and doubt is the heaviest burden of all. I however, refuse yet still, to give in to such emotions. My will and determination shall not be crushed by such thoughts."

He was clearly angry at Cosmos herself for letting such things befall her. She was supposed to be their leader; their source and pillar of strength when all seemed lost. Yet – she was the one whom was the first to truly waver in her original beliefs. If she couldn't come around – who was left to believe in them? It was something they couldn't afford to risk.

They both stood in awkward silence for a moment. He was not willing to give up; she was not ready to believe again. This tension put them at great odds for the first time.

Cosmos' head dropped as the truth behind her newfound "beliefs" came out.

"I…I fear for you all. This conflict has dragged you into an endless struggle – devoid of true purpose. I regret that I am responsible for getting you involved. If I could at any time, change the past-"

"Say no more." Warrior of Light interrupted.

"Hm?" she asked, lifting her head again to look at him.

"I understand your plight. I know you are worried for every last one of us. However – you have called upon us, and we chose to answer. Despite what we may face now as a result of that – we shall stand by our convictions and responsibility and see this conflict to its end. Nothing is inevitable so long as you continue to believe in us. Please, Cosmos…do not give up on us yet. We shall see your wish fulfilled in time." he said.

She looked at him and could tell what he said was from his heart. Every word coming out his mouth was never anything but honest, and it was such knowledge that allowed her to believe again and regain the hope she'd had before.

She looked at the ground as she shook her head in shame – shame on herself for allowing such troubles to befall her, as he had said, and letting herself become victim to such human emotions. It was not like her to lose her way so much; sink so far into despair. It was too much for her to bear. The goddess of harmony had given up on hope. How could she face herself, or her warriors, knowing such?

"Cosmos…" Warrior of Light said.

Cosmos looked at him upon hearing her name and saw him kneeling before her – staring up at her with a face full of hope and promise. It was the exact thing she'd needed to snap her out of this distress.

"I…" she mumbled.

She searched for the words she so deeply felt, but couldn't find. She wanted to tell him she'd regained her resolve and believed in them to the end – but, she didn't know how. Something made her choke on her words and she fought to bring them to the surface.

"…I feel…I have regained myself. My hope, my faith, my trust – they are all in you. I hope you'll find it in yourselves to forgive me…for being so weak as to succumb to doubt. I am…greatly troubled over this war. I never intended for any of this to happen. I could not foresee what it would cause." she said.

Cosmos had never been so honest with anyone before – but, Warrior of Light had hit her some way no one else ever could. He had made her open up to him in ways a goddess would never have been believed or convinced to open up – and that had scared her. The fact that she could be so easily persuaded after all was something of a trouble to her. So, she had tried to hide such thoughts behind feelings of despair. It all worried her that she could be so human after all.

"Your words, Cosmos, are all we need to hear to continue to believe in ourselves and that this conflict can indeed be ended. So long as you are with us and your faith in us never fails – we can't fail." he said.

A faint smile formed on Cosmos' face. She could see how clearly they depended on her – and the feeling was mutual. She believed in them and they trusted her. If it was their job to see this conflict ended – then it was her job to see to it that they succeeded.

She nodded in understanding as he rose to his feet again – his hand still across his heart in promise.

"Don't worry again. We shall see this conflict through and this cycle to its end. That – I promise to you, Cosmos." Warrior of Light said.

Cosmos looked at him, the hope she'd found again visible on her face.

"I believe in you. I, too, will stand by you all to the very end." she said, softly.


	10. Treachery Abound

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Treachery Abound**

"How can we help you, Barthandelus?" Ultimecia asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

I couldn't help but laugh to myself. They didn't seem the least bit pleased to see me – even _I_ knew that.

"Oh. Has Exdeath gone already? I was hoping we could all share this enticing moment."

The Emperor stared at me with a straight face. He of all, I already knew, was not trusting of me in any way. I couldn't see why. It wasn't like any of us had any real reason to be trusted by one another. The only thing that really kept us on that level of cooperation – was the fact that we were pitted against a common enemy.

"What "moment" would you be speaking of exactly? Do tell. I'd be quite interested to know of your whereabouts up to this moment." he said.

His words only further proved my thoughts about him. I guess, however, that one can't choose his allies in such a farce as we were caught in. So, I continued on – acting blissfully ignorant of his concerns.

"I bring news – the likes of which I'm sure you'll regret not hearing should you choose not to listen."

Ultimecia and the Emperor glanced at each other. I could see it in their faces – they really didn't want to know, yet…they couldn't resist. It wasn't like them to pass up any opportunity that could work in favor of Chaos.

"Very well. What is this news you desire to share with us?" Ultimecia asked, folding her arms.

I smirked at her words. Curiosity had gotten the better of them, and they couldn't help but go with it. It was perfect. I looked at them directly – calm and straightforward as I spoke.

"I know of your plan for the warriors of Cosmos and their crystals; to let them get so far and believe they stand even a mere chance of defeating Chaos. I think it's brilliant, to say the least."

The Emperor still held suspicion as he looked at me.

"You do? And how, may I ask, did you acquire said information about our plan? I do not recall you being around when we went over it." he said.

"I get around." I replied.

"Oh?"

Their interest – or suspicion…whichever one wanted to call it, was growing more and more. I had to take advantage of the obvious opportunity before me. After all, if they were taking any that came their way…surely, I could to.

"That brings me to my main point."

They looked at me – eyes full of intent, suspicion, and curiosity. Whether they approve of me or not, they couldn't deny their insatiable interest in any news that could they could possibly use for their gain.

"It is a great burden of mine that I must inform you of the fact that some of our comrades so desire to act directly in contrast with this magnificently placed plan of yours. It breaks my heart that such deception would thrive amongst allies."

They looked at each other again – not sure whether or not to believe there was a shred of truth to my words. But, if they truly cared about this plan of theirs – they had no choice but to. I knew that.

Ultimecia was the first to speak as she faced me with a look of interest – false interest, I could tell. I was no fool when it came to such things…especially if had anything to do with them.

"Yes. I suppose that is a shame. After all, we are all on the same side – united against a force that stands to shatter our vision for a better world. Please, do enlighten us as to what dear comrades of ours would so patently go against everything we're working toward."

Though I knew everything they said was just to find fault with me and assume their verdict correct, I still willingly gave them the news they beckoned for. It was the only way for plans to go accordingly – my own, that is.

"Sephiroth." I said, grinning.

The Emperor seemed shocked and puzzled by this at the same time. Sephiroth never said much, but he had still seemed to hold loyal to Chaos. What would possess him to act so defiantly after all this time? Though he wouldn't admit it, I could tell this was troubling to him. It was the last thing he'd expected and such news had caught him terribly off guard.

"Sephiroth? How could that be?"

Ultimecia looked at him.

"He _is_ a man of very few words. You never know what he's really thinking, after all. Still…I, too, find it hard to believe that he, of all people, would dare to attempt an act in direct contrast with Chaos. His loyalty has been nothing but clear – and key, in everything so far. Can we be certain this news of yours is truly worth holding to?" she said.

The obviously needed more convincing…and I had just the news to do it, wasting no time as my story began...

*-_("I say we let the insolent pawns go on their way for now. If we leave them to believe they stand such a chance, it would be easier for us. Wouldn't you agree?"_

"_All we really have to do is wait for Shinryu to make his move. Until then, I think it might be fun to watch them in this senseless and amusing venture of theirs. And, I'm sure the manikins will be more than happy to entertain them for the time being."_

They all left as Sephiroth stood in the distance watching - out of sight.

"_That's their plan? Hmph. I think they're going to need a more…_direct_ approach."_

*-He turned around as someone came up to him._)_

"So, you see…he's known of your intentions all along. He was there when you discussed them with Garland and Seymour. I had no way of telling you at the time, so I kept it to myself then." I explained.

I looked at them - their faces full of suspicion and uncertainty. They could choose to believe me or not. But, no matter their choice – it _was_ true. Sephiroth wasn't necessarily plotting in direct contrast with Chaos or any one else's intentions, but…he was still acting in a manner that would put those plans in a position that left them to be easily uncovered by Cosmos' forces. And, if their plan was to end up in such a position – mine was certain to suffer the same.

"As I'm sure you are aware, he holds the key in the endeavors of two specific warriors from Cosmos' forces. He plans to use that key to draw them into an irreversible position…and fate. Should his plan go through successfully, that would surely put a fork in our own."

They thought for a moment. They didn't want to believe me, but they didn't seem willing to risk the possibility of losing all they've worked for. Everything was playing out as they, and I had intended – and nothing was going to stand in the way now.

"Fine. Suppose we were to accept your news and believe that Sephiroth truly stood to interfere with our work so far. What do you propose we do about such?" the Emperor asked.

I found myself grinning at his words. It was working just as I'd intended. All that was left now – was to put the little worms in position.

***I have re-titled chapter VII, so the title has been moved to this chapter. I apologize for the confusion.**


	11. A Locke of Secrets

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Locke of Secrets**

"_Our quest led us to a very odd structure; a structure I knew all too well – Kefka's Tower. The moment we entered, I felt uneasy, but I didn't say anything. The last thing I wanted was to alarm Bartz and Garnet. Things hadn't been too bad so far, but due to where we now found ourselves…I knew things were about to. I just couldn't imagine _how_ bad."_

"Okay, so…where are we exactly?" Bartz asked.

I was hesitant to reply. I was afraid that if I let on to the fact that I knew, they'd start asking questions. Questions - I would rather not have answered.

"I have no idea. This place is so…big. It's got the strangest design I've ever seen. What's up with all these pod-like things around the place?" Garnet asked.

The more they talked and wondered – the harder it became to hold it in. It would have been so much easier and better off if they had just let us keep walking through to our next destination without such curiosity. I wanted to tell them to stop – but, that would only have caused what I was trying to avoid.

"I've never seen anything like this. This is the weirdest castle I've ever been in." Garnet said, as she looked around.

A free-spirit and a princess – that was who I'd been saddled with. I didn't really have complaints, but…I really wished they hadn't been so chatty and all. Due to Bartz's knack to get carried away, I felt it my duty to make sure he didn't drag Garnet into danger. That made it all the more harder to keep my mouth shut.

"You don't think the crystals could be here, do you?" Bartz asked.

"Why?" Garnet asked.

Bartz looked around for a moment.

"I don't know. All these nooks and crannies – it wouldn't be too unexpected to find something of the sort hidden here. Am I wrong?" he said.

Garnet and I didn't reply. Though he had a point, I got the feeling he was still wrong. If there was any truth and purpose behind finding these crystals – they sure weren't going to be found in Kefka's Tower. _That _much - I was sure of.

Unfortunately, I must have made a motion I didn't realize I'd made, as I heard Garnet ask a question I'd feared would come around.

"Locke? Are you alright?"

I jumped at the sound of her voice, throwing my head up to find her looking at me with concern. I didn't know what to say. The wrong answer and slightest hint of worry would have brought everything to a halt. I just wanted to get out of here and continue on our way. I didn't like the feeling I had – and it was only getting worse each minute.

Garnet kept looking at me as I stood in silence. I had to think of something and quick.

"Yeah. I'm alright. Sorry to worry you. I was just think-"

I stopped myself right there. One more word – and I would have found myself with a lot to explain.

Garnet was confused as she kept staring at me. The look in her eyes showed she truly cared, but because so did I…I couldn't let her worry.

"You were just what?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. Really. We should just get out of here. I don't think the crystals are in a place like this."

I started to walk forward again, hoping they'd follow me. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten – Bartz was with us.

"Why not?"

I turned around to look at him.

"What?"

"Why couldn't the crystals be here? We haven't even looked around. How do you know what we will or won't find unless we take the time to?" he asked.

I grumbled a bit at his words. Bartz was far too adventurous for his own good and he didn't need to drag us, Garnet especially, with him. I knew what the possibilities of staying in this place too long were – and I wasn't willing to wait for any of them to happen.

"Tell me. What do you think crystals would be doing in a dingy place like this? It doesn't make sense. All we're going to find here…is a bunch of pipes and pods, like Garnet pointed out earlier."

I started to turn back around and keep walking forward when Bartz stopped me again.

"What do you mean by that? You talk like you know this place or something."

I froze in my tracks. I realized then exactly what I'd said – and it was too late to stop myself. I'd already said too much.

Garnet stared at my back as I stood there in silence. I could feel her eyes watching me; waiting for me to speak. I didn't know what to do…again.

"Locke?"

I turned around to face them, sighing as I realized that there was now no way around it. I had to tell them what I knew.

"This place…it's Kefka's Tower."

They looked at me in confusion, but quickly realized what I meant.

"Kefka? Isn't he sided with Chaos?" Bartz asked.

I nodded. Due to having gotten myself cornered, I had no choice but to be honest with them if I had any hope of getting them out of here in time. Just as I'd feared though, a look of worry came across Garnet's face – making what was already bad even worse for me. It was exactly what I'd hoped to avoid, and it had happened anyway.

"So, that's how you knew we wouldn't find the crystals here. Kefka is your enemy, isn't he?" Bartz asked.

"Yeah. He's a psychotic and dangerous adversary. While I don't want to be saying this, I have to." I answered.

Bartz looked at me in question while Garnet's face only appeared to fill with more fear. I had to make this quick – for her sake.

"Say what?" Bartz asked.

"If we don't get out of here soon, Kefka will find us – and it won't be good. Come on! Let's hurry!" I replied, hoping that my notion of haste would be enough to convince them.

Bartz and Garnet looked at each other for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's go. We have to find our crystals anyway." Bartz said.

We started making our way out as fast as we could. I didn't know when Kefka would appear – but, I was sure he would nonetheless. I didn't want to risk something happening to Garnet…_or_ Bartz.

We reached the exit, but I hadn't realized what had happened until I heard Bartz speak.

"Hey! Where's Garnet?"

I turned around quickly to find that she was gone. I instantly thought the worst – and it truly _was_ the worst.

"She was right behind us. I didn't hear her shout or anything so I figured she made it out, too." Bartz said.

One thought lingered in my mind…Kefka. Something told me he was responsible somehow. But, how he'd managed to pull anything off without him or Garnet making a sound - was what I had yet to figure out.

"Something must have happened to her." I said.

Bartz was completely dumbfounded by my words.

"What? How? She was right behind us. I could hear her running." he said, a hint of guilt in his voice.

I didn't care how it happened – only that it had. We had to find her before things took a drastic turn for the worst. I didn't know what Kefka wanted with Garnet, but I wasn't about to let him get it.

"Oh, man! Zidane's going to give it to me now." he whined, dropping his head as he went into a state of despair.

"We've got to find her. Come on!" I said, quickly running along the path that led away from the tower.

"_I didn't know where we were going or how we'd find Garnet, but I had to believe she'd be somewhere along our route. If she wasn't…I couldn't even begin to imagine. I already had enough to worry about – but that secret, however…I intended to keep to myself."_


	12. To Trust a Lion

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**To Trust a Lion**

"_We had no idea how everyone else had been faring this whole time, but we kept moving on – it was all we could do. Sure, we had things to worry about as we went…but, nothing that we could allow to slow us down. If Zidane had worries though, he didn't really let it show. As for Squall, well…you could never tell with him anyway."_

"So, what is this place again?" I asked.

Zidane looked around.

"I'm…not really sure. It's not like there's a sign or anything to tell us "you are here"." he said.

"Hmm…oh well. I was just wondering." I replied.

We kept moving to what we thought was the exit; what he hoped was. This world was strange to say the least. It was all dark with pillars that looked like the remains of a fallen castle or so. The sky was a weird shade of purple and black. It made me uneasy – at best. It wasn't comforting.

"So, where could the crystals be? I mean, we've been to two other places before this one and still nothing. What are we doing wrong?" Zidane asked.

Neither Squall nor I had an answer. He made sense. We'd been on this quest for quite some time now and still nothing. All we'd come across up to this point was empty locations – some of which rather mysterious, and manikins. In all honesty, we were beginning to lose hope.

"I don't know. I mean, they've got to be somewhere, right? Just…where?" I asked.

We both looked at Squall.

"Anything from you, Squall?" Zidane asked.

Squall closed his eyes for a moment. He appeared to be thinking…again. He did that a lot actually. He was a hard read for sure and never said much. Really…I got the feeling he didn't want to be with us. It was troubling for me. I wasn't even sure Zidane had noticed. Squall was so…he was just hard to be around.

"Don't look at me. I don't know this place any better than you two." Squall said.

Zidane didn't mind Squall's enigmatic personality; however…I found it hard to warm up to. Why was he insistent on being so hard to talk to? It was something I wanted to ask him really, but I knew it wouldn't do any good. If he wouldn't talk to us much when we were trying to be friendly…I could only imagine if we tried asking questions of a personal matter.

Zidane kept walking forward out in front of us as he appeared to be scoping the area. Obviously, he was trying to catch some clue as to where we were. Honestly…I didn't think we'd find any clues. I just wanted to get out and get on our way. We were wasting time just dawdling. I was sure that everyone else had already gotten their crystals by now. I felt so slow.

"Hey, look!" Zidane cheered.

"Huh?" Squall and I asked, looking ahead.

Zidane had his hand pointed into the dark ahead of us and I could barely make out some kind of stairwell. At least - I _hoped_ it was a stairwell.

"Come on!" he said, running ahead of us.

"Zidane! Wait!" I hollered.

He kept on running toward the stairs as fast as he could. Squall and I just watched as he made it there in mere seconds.

"How in the world is one supposed to keep up with him?" I asked, jokingly, as I started to follow him.

Before I got too far, I realized Squall wasn't coming with me. I stopped walking and looked at him. He was doing that thing where he was lost in deep thought…again. I didn't know if there was something wrong with him by now, or if he was always like this. I'd never met someone so…personal before in my life.

"Squall?"

He lifted his head a little as he opened his eyes and looked at me.

"What is it?"

I was hesitant to speak. To be honest, he kind of scared me. I never knew what he was thinking, so I didn't know what he was capable of. I mean sure - I had a weapon, too, and was always ready if he ever went crazy and attacked me, but...I don't know. He just didn't seem like someone you wanted to get into a fight with.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." I answered, nodding.

I recollected myself and looked at him again. I had to speak. I had to know. I would be satisfied until I got something out of him. Ever since Zidane and I had caught up to him on our quest, he had been anything but open with us. I figured it was time he started trusting us.

"I wanted to ask you something – if that's okay."

He turned around and stared at me; a stare that made me extremely uncomfortable most of all. I was afraid I had already gone over the boundaries and I hadn't even begun to pry. Granted…I was about to.

"What?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. I had to speak now before he got annoyed – if he wasn't already.

"Why are you here anyway? I mean…with us. You never say much; you haven't said a word since we first met up with you. I just…get the feeling you don't really want to be around us."

He stared at me for a moment and I thought maybe I was wrong. Like I said, he was hard to read. I began to feel stupid for ever opening my mouth in the first place.

To my surprise though, he answered my question. Unfortunately – it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear.

"I'm looking for someone. I wasn't getting anywhere on my own, though I thought I was just going the way at first. When you two found me…I just thought that maybe it would make my search faster if I went with you. Unfortunately…I can see how well that's paying off."

His words were so cold – amongst a lot of other things. How could be so rude and mean and not have any regrets about it? The only thing good that came out that was that he was honest. Still…he might as well have just left his honesty to himself. I regretted saying anything upon hearing what he said.

"So…you're not really here to help us out or help us help you? You're only with us to get what you want." I said, a bit angered by his selfishness.

He didn't reply. I looked at him coldly. At that moment, I think I would have tried to take him on. I wanted to knock some sense into him and let him know exactly how he was coming off. The thing was…I think he knew.

"HEY! COME ON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Zidane shouted.

He was clearly getting impatient and my "conversation" with Squall wasn't getting anywhere. I decided to do what I told myself to do before I opened my mouth – keep on walking. I stepped forward past him and started making my way toward Zidane.

"Forget it."

I barely got two steps when I heard Squall say something else.

"Balthier."

I didn't want to do it – but, I stopped anyway and turned around to look at him. To my surprise, he wasn't in his usual stance where he was thinking; he looked at me head on as he walked towards me. My heart started beating faster. I didn't know what he was going to do. I couldn't even move upon just thinking about the possibilities.

"It's not that I don't want to be around you guys. I have no qualms with you two. I just have my own goals and I can't allow anything to interfere with them. I need you to understand that." he said.

Was this guy for real? All that silence, secrecy, and blunt behavior and he wanted me to understand? Just take it easy and let it go? He had some serious problems the way I saw it.

Still…something in me couldn't help but just do as he wanted; I let go – knowing things wouldn't get anywhere if I kept holding to it.

"…Sure. I get it. Everyone has their reasons, right?" I said.

Squall only nodded.

"Right. Come on."

He started walking towards Zidane and I followed right behind him. Zidane was anything but happy as we got close.

"It's about time. What took you guys so long?" he asked, hastily.

"Sorry, Zidane. We're fine though. Let's go." I said.

Zidane glance from me to Squall and then shrugged.

"Alright. Let's get out of here!" he said.

"_As we climbed those stairs, we didn't know where they would take us. We couldn't even see where they led as only darkness was visible. Still, we had to hope they took us out of here – as hard as that was to do. While we continued on our way, we had no idea what our friends were going through at this moment. And, Squall's friend in particular, whoever they were – was of no exception."_


	13. Fatal Malevolence

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Fatal Malevolence**

"So…the warriors of Cosmos still have yet to retrieve their crystals, I understand." Exdeath said.

"That is precise." I replied.

Exdeath and Cloud of Darkness appeared to get some joy out of this news as a smirk formed on Cloud of Darkness' face.

"It appears that this journey of theirs is much tougher than they imagined…and longer. How naive of them to believe it could have been any less so." Cloud of Darkness said, shaking her head slowly.

I didn't respond in any way, although I did agree. They were behaving rather foolishly - being so naive as to believe a mission by a goddess could be anything but difficult. They were chasing after a fantasy that they would clearly never see. It was still as amusing to think about as before.

"They refuse to come to terms with the fact that the very crystals they seek are just a mere illusion. They cannot hope to end such a conflict as this with such false hope. Their hopes and drive are nothing but a lie; as worthless as the words of their so trusted goddess. I pity the fools really." Exdeath stated.

Cloud of Darkness couldn't have agreed anymore. Despite all the deceit going around the warriors of Chaos, it seemed they could all still agree on one thing…that the warriors of Cosmos were on a never-ending chase for a future that could never exist.

"The fools are blinded by lies - so much, in fact, that they can't even see that. They continue to pursue this fantasy of a better future with no regards toward the consequences of their actions – all because of the words of a powerless goddess. Even Cosmos herself cannot bear to deal with the truth. She knows the fate that awaits her warriors, and yet…she continues to encourage them forward on their useless mission. Their belief that she truly believes in their endeavors is all they can count on. Their hope…is nothing but in vain."

She laughed to herself a little. It was true though. Cosmos knew very well what her warriors faced in the end, but had no choice, but to push them forward. If even a mere shred of hope that they could win remained in her, it was certain not to last much longer. They had been on their quest for quite some time now, and not a single one of them had managed to find their crystals. It was obvious they were all just too stubborn to open their eyes to the reality that loomed in front of them.

"This struggle has affected the warriors themselves, too, however. Some of them are beginning to wane in their hope and belief in Cosmos. They're slowly losing reason for their goal, whether they realize it or not. They question themselves and each other as they continue on with their mission. Things between Cosmos' forces may not be meant to last much longer." Exdeath said.

Cloud of Darkness looked at Exdeath, seeming somewhat perplexed by this herself.

"Then why do the fools continue to fight? They stand no chance to win this struggle. Their defeat is inevitable. You cannot change what is meant to be."

She seemed somewhat angered by their stubborn acts. All they did was keep pushing to go on, no matter how futile and bleak things seemed. It really was annoying to a degree. They stood no chance, yet…they continued to fight. Even I couldn't stand it anymore.

"I regret that we must show them what it causes when one is so arrogant and stubborn. Their denial as to the truth must be punished, after all." I said.

They both appeared to like where I was going, instantly catching onto my idea. It was a plus that every warrior of Chaos lived to manipulate the lives of those around them – whether they were allies or enemies, and doing so would only bring me closer to my elimination of Yuna. I was dying to put my plan into action, but first…I, of course, needed the proper tools. If every one in Chaos' forces had the right to use whomever they saw fit to achieve their individual desires…surely, I did, too. And, these two, were clearly perfect for the part.

"What exactly do you have in mind, Seymour?" Exdeath asked.

I smirked lightly as I heard his words.

"Obviously, we use this present opportunity to take advantage of the rising weakness in the warriors' hope. They each remain distracted by their own goals, desires, and feelings – caring very little for what goes on around them at this particular point. The further they travel, the more they begin to doubt. Why not take the chance while the door is wide open?"

Exdeath and Cloud of Darkness stood in silence for a moment as they appeared to be thinking on what I said. I could tell they were considering it, but it was hard to say if they were really willing to accept the thought. I had to think of something else to say that would surely encourage them to act now.

I started to turn around and walk away.

"Well, if you need more convincing – Kuja and Kefka have decided to take matters into their own hands. They, too, have tired of this useless plan of the Emperor's to merely wait for the warriors of Cosmos. I, too, have recently found myself realizing how inept a thought it is. My patience has officially…worn out."

I could tell they were taking my words into consideration. I had to hope they'd follow along with it. I could feel it; they wanted to believe me and come along.

Cloud of Darkness spoke after a few moments.

"That clown and spotlight loon never could control themselves. Their desires far outstretch their wit. Yet, I admit…they appear to have some more semblance of intelligence than the others in this particular case."

I could only smirk at her words as I kept my back to them. It was working.

"Very well, I shall assist in sending those vermin, Cosmos and Chaos alike, into the depths of the Void. Their pathetic acts of such cowardice do not deserve a place in the imminent future." Exdeath said.

I turned my head around just enough to catch a glimpse of them coming up behind me.

"Good." I said, grinning to myself.

It was perfect. Things were working out exactly as I'd planned and now I only needed to position the final pawn…Yuna. I couldn't wait to finally get it set!


	14. A Warrior Divided

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Warrior Divided**

I hit the ground hard, falling back on my hands to catch myself. I looked up as I saw a manikin ready to strike me down. I watched its weapon come down on me quickly as my eyes widened with fear.

"RINOA!" a voice shouted.

I quickly turned my upper body and ducked my head – sure this was the end for me.

"Aahh!"

I slowly lifted my head, realizing it hadn't hit me.

"Huh?"

I looked up toward the manikin in confusion and to my _huge_ relief, saw Kain holding it back as they stood over me.

"Kain!"

A big smile formed on my face as I was more than grateful for what he'd just done. We had been overcome with another bunch of manikins…a little bigger group than the previous one we'd fought back on the Sky Fortress Bahamut. We had struggled greatly in this fight and we'd finally gotten them down to the last few. Still…even though I was relieved and grateful for Kain's quick thinking and even quicker actions…that was also when I started to feel like a burden.

"You okay, Rinoa?" Kain asked.

I shook my head, snapping out of my daze.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Kain didn't reply, only quickly knocking the manikin back with a strong swipe of his lance.

I quickly got back to my feet and followed up; feeling a small rush of anger for what it almost did to me.

"HAH!" I shouted, jumping into the air.

I rose above the manikin and raised my Blaster Edge. He was _so_ going down for that little stunt. I was _not_ going to regret this.

"IT'S OVER!" I cried, as I struck it hard.

It shot down to the ground in seconds and I landed a few feet between where it lay and Kain, slowly rising to a standing position as I watched the manikin fade away in defeat. I was kind of surprised with myself. I wasn't one to feel no regret about anything, especially something like this, but…I didn't this time. All I could think was that it got everything it deserved.

Kain walked up behind me.

"Rinoa."

I quickly turned around at the sound of my name and without thinking, I jumped at him instantly.

"Thank you!"

I hugged him tight in thanks for saving me earlier. I guess he didn't really catch on because he looked at me in confusion. That, or…he wasn't really one for any kind of affection or gratitude. I didn't care too much though. I didn't know how else to show my thanks other than that.

"You saved me! I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't."

Kain choked on his words for a moment. Obviously, he was trying to think of what to say. How does one react to something like that? Apparently, it was a rare event for him.

"Uh…yeah…you're welcome."

I slowly pulled away from him, laughing a bit at his reaction as Firion and Tifa ran up to us.

"Are you two okay?" Tifa asked, looking at me specifically while speaking.

"Yeah, we're fine. I think they're finally gone." I replied, nodding lightly.

Tifa breathed a sigh of relief and a slight smile formed on Firion's face.

"That was close. I was sure we were done for a few times back there." Tifa said.

I nodded lightly in response. I knew what that felt like all too well. A memory of the manikin's weapon coming down at me flashed through my mind. I didn't think I'd ever forget that moment for the rest of my life. Some things just…stick with you, unfortunately. For me…I figured that would be it.

Kain looked at all of us as he spoke again.

"We must be on the right track. I'm sure of it."

Firion looked at him, seemingly confused at what would make him say that.

"What do you mean? How can you be sure?"

Kain looked at him with a straight face.

"The manikins have been pursuing us, and no doubt our comrades, ever since our arrival at the Sky Fortress Bahamut. Why would they bother to attempt to intervene in our endeavors if they were certain we were on the wrong path?"

We thought for a moment. He made sense. If we had been on the wrong path to the crystals, surely our travels would have been much easier, right? Obstacles only come to be when you are going the right way, after all. It made us feel good to know we were doing just that, but at the same time – we still had to wonder how much longer until we'd found our crystals. We'd been to a couple places already and nothing. We didn't want to give up hope, but it was hard to hold onto it just the same.

"Well, if what you say is really true…then surely our crystals can't be too far away. We should keep moving now." Firion said.

"But, can we truly find them? We've come so far already and still nothing. I just…have to wonder sometimes." I said.

I stared at the ground, a little disappointed in myself for thinking in such a way. But, still…I had to be real. After all this time and still no sign of our crystals…I was beginning to think maybe it was pointless after all.

"Cosmos said to find them and she believes in us. That alone should tell us they exist. We just need to be strong and believe in her in return…and we're bound to find them." Firion said.

I slowly lifted my head to look at him directly. I could see it in his eyes. He truly believed in what Cosmos said and had no doubt in his mind that we'd find our crystals. I wanted to believe him, but I still couldn't find it in me to do so.

"Please, Rinoa, continue to fight with us and don't lose hope. We will find our crystals and end this…just as we all wish." Firion said.

I found myself smiling a little at him, despite how I was feeling. I couldn't stand to doubt such optimism no matter what condition I was in. After all, I usually thought the same way. It was my best quality…even Squall couldn't have denied that. They were still holding out hope that we'd find the crystals and fulfill our goal, and I couldn't stand to disappoint them. Though I still wasn't completely convinced, I decided there was no point in dwelling on such emotions.

"…Okay." I said softly.

"We must keep moving before more manikins show up though. Let's go." Kain said.

We all nodded in agreement. If our crystals truly were just ahead, we could finally end this conflict and defeat Chaos. That thought propelled us forward without hesitation.

We got a few feet and then I could barely make out a glimpse of something shining ahead of us. It was so far and still so bright. I didn't know what it could be. Then…I realized what I was seeing.

"Look!" I said, pointing ahead.

They all looked in my indicated direction and saw what I saw.

"Do you think it's…"

Tifa didn't finish her question, but we all thought that very thing she was asking about.

"Come on!" Firion said.

We all hurried toward it without a second thought. We stared ahead as the shine got brighter until we finally reached its source.

"It's a crystal! We've found it!" I cheered, jumping a little with excitement.

I couldn't believe it. After all this time, with doubt beginning to fill our heads and hearts, we'd finally made it to one of the crystals. Cosmos would be so pleased and our friends would surely be happy to see it. We were finally going to end the conflict like we'd desired since this began.

The look on the others' faces said the same thing. It was real. The crystal we'd been seeking was right in front of us. It was only a matter of time now before we'd see Chaos fall. All the hope we could feel vanishing earlier, had now suddenly returned just like that. It was a great feeling and it felt good to have one consisting of joy instead of fear.

"We should take this to Cosmos. We need to get back to her and the others." Kain said.

They nodded as I reached for the crystal. However, upon touching it, something unexpected happened.

"Aahh!" I screamed.

Tifa, Firion, and Kain quickly turned around and looked at me with wide eyes.

"What?" they asked, staring in shock.

A strange light had appeared around me and took on the form of a huge clock. Firion and Kain rushed towards me, but they couldn't get to me. I was trapped. I didn't know what was going on, but I realized instantly who was behind this. She was trying to separate us. The crystal was a fake; a trap to get me out of reach of my friends – the ones whom had protected me since it all began. I couldn't do anything to escape. It was like I was frozen in place. I couldn't move my arms or legs. All I could do was stare at them in fear as they tried to help me – unsuccessfully.

"RINOA, HOLD ON!" Tifa shouted.

Before they could really do anything, I was gone in a flash of light as the clock shape dissipated around where I had been.

"RINOA!" Tifa cried in horror.

"_They all stared at the empty space where I had been. No one knew where I had gone…not even me. I knew who was responsible…but, I didn't know why. All I knew...was that I no longer had the protection of my friends. That in itself, was the biggest hint at what was to come. I just didn't realize it yet."_

***Author's Note***_ - I apologize for what may seem like somewhat sloppy writing this time around. To be honest, this chapter wasn't originally supposed to end this way. Granted, no...it does NOT change any of the future chapters, but I just hope this weird...turn in this story isn't too much or so. I've actually had a slight block on this story lately for this chapter and the one before it, so that's really why they might seem to be a little "off" compared to the previous chapters. Fortunately, come next chapter, I should be back on my feet again with this story! Please don't be turned away just yet._


	15. Treason!

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Treason!**

"And, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Sephiroth asked, standing with his back to Garland and the Emperor.

Neither of them bought his "ignorance" for a second. After learning of his treachery from Barthandelus, despite how little they trusted him, they couldn't risk losing all they'd worked for.

"Sephiroth. Why would you betray us? Why would you suddenly turn against Chaos?" the Emperor asked.

Now, Sephiroth _was_ a bit confused, but still…he didn't really show it that way as he turned to face them.

"I've betrayed Chaos? How?" he asked, sounding more interested than guilty.

His apparent games only served to further the Emperor's anger at the supposed warriors complete loyalty and allegiance to Chaos. In his mind, after all he'd heard…Sephiroth was no longer considered their comrade.

"Don't take us for fools with your false ignorance! You know very well what you've done and I will _not_ see our plans fall due to such traitorous intent. We've come too far now." he said.

Sephiroth still didn't really react defensively. He appeared to take it all calmly, like he truly wasn't affected; like he really was innocent in this. Then again…they thought that was just due to his personality - an apparent inability to develop any true interest and emotion in any situation. He did usually walk around in a rather…dull mood.

"I see. But, still…that doesn't exactly narrow down for me exactly what I'm being accused of. I'm still waiting for that part." he said.

Garland jumped in, having had enough himself now.

"Enough! Your lies and games end here! We know you have deliberately gone against our plans by choosing to strike at the warriors of Cosmos. We were supposed to wait for them to obtain their crystals and let them believe their petty hopes and goals were nearly fulfilled. All because of you – that plan is now ruined."

"You're a traitor, Sephiroth. And, while I honestly hate to do this to a dear and loyal ally such as yourself, I suppose…it must be done." the Emperor stated.

He started to raise his staff and create a flare, ready to strike down Sephiroth then and there as punishment for his supposed traitorous actions – actions Sephiroth knew were false, but still did nothing to deny it. He seemed prepared to take punishment for something he never truly did.

He stared at the flare as it grew, only moments from being hurled in his direction.

"Any last words, Sephiroth?" the Emperor asked.

Sephiroth closed his eyes for a moment and smirked to himself.

"Tell me...who gave you such news as to the supposed actions of which I'm being accused?"

The Emperor and Garland glanced at each other as the same name popped into their minds. They looked back at Sephiroth in silence as he stared back at them with the same smirk as before, waiting for an answer.

"…Barthandelus. He told us you had overheard our prior conversation as to our plans and decided to deliberately act in such contrast to it all. I admit…I never imagined you to be such a one to do so." the Emperor revealed.

Sephiroth closed his eyes again and laughed to himself.

"Barthandelus. I see." he said.

He turned around and was silent for a moment.

"While your reasons for this unfortunate interrogation are well-founded, I must inform you that it's directed at the wrong person. I indeed have acted in contrast to something, but not your plan. Honestly…I don't much care for it, but, I have in no way done anything to directly interfere in it. True, I have my own plan, but it's of no concern to you or your goals. If you're truly searching for the traitor amongst us…I suggest you think of whom led you to this conclusion and point your anger at them."

They thought for a moment upon hearing his words.

"I assure you, there is surely a traitor in our midst…but, it's not me. Think about it." he said.

He glanced back at them as they looked at each other in silence, obviously thinking of the very person whose words they chose to heed and followed here.

Sephiroth smirked again as he turned his head forward again and started walking off.

"This has been fun, but I must be leaving now. Don't go getting so delusional on me again...it's rather aggravating. And, quite disappointing, wouldn't you say?"

He disappeared, leaving them lost in a whirl of doubt and thought. It was coming together now after their confrontation with Sephiroth; their thoughts, their actions, their choices – everything that led to them this point only to have been a complete lie. It was all because of one person and they now understood.

"So…it seems we do indeed have a traitor amongst us, but have blindly pursued the wrong target." the Emperor said.

Garland clenched his fist in anger at having been played for such a fool for the first time.

"I'm no one's tool. He will pay for such actions. No one goes against Chaos and the Great Will without consequences. I'll see to it that he's taken care of as is appropriate for such treason."

The Emperor looked to the sky with a smirk on his face.

"Yes. It seems our plans must take an alternate route to deal with this…rather large, and aggravating, fork."

He looked at Garland.

"Come, Garland. Let us make sure this is done exactly as fit."

He disappeared from the area with Garland right behind him. Barthandelus had to pay for his treacherous actions and they were going to make sure that was what happened. While still curious as to Sephiroth's intentions, they were at least more satisfied to know that he wasn't in the way as thought. However…Sephiroth had left out one detail of his plan. While he hadn't lied about it not interfering in theirs…it still held risks for it.


	16. A Promise Remembered

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Promise Remembered**

"_We found ourselves in a place called the Crystal World. It was a rather comforting location – its twilight covered sky just seeming to pull you in as you approached. I liked the mystique it held, but at the same time…I could never have imagined exactly what kind of mystique that was."_

"Wow. Get a look at this place." I said, looking around in amazement.

I'd never seen anything like it. Even I had to admire its peaceful, relaxing environment.

"Keep your guard up, Snow. Don't forget…we're in this to defeat Chaos and his warriors. Remember what happened last time?" Laguna said.

I shook my head a little and sighed. Laguna was still insistent on parenting me and I was actually getting kind of annoyed by it. I didn't say anything about it though, I just let him go on…for some reason.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just taking a breather. I've never seen a place like this before."

I thought for a moment. I thought I could feel a faint memory coming back to mind. It was of a place not quite like this, but still just as beautiful. For the life of me though…I couldn't recall what it was. I began to think I was making it all up.

Vaan looked around. I figured he was trying to gain more information about this place as he was scoping out the terrain. Still…I had to ask, just to be sure.

"What's up, Vaan?"

"Oh, nothing really, I'm just…taking a breather – like you." he answered.

I looked at him for a moment and then smirked to myself. At least I had one companion whom was easy to travel with.

We started walking forward again when something finally caught my attention.

"Hey! Look at that!"

I ran ahead of them and stopped at the ledge as I looked up at the sky.

Vaan and Laguna came running up behind me in a panic.

"Snow!" Vaan said.

"What are you looking at?" Laguna asked.

I motioned toward the direction I was looking and pointed out something in the sky.

"That. Do you see that?"

They looked up and saw what I saw – a big crystal hanging in the sky at the edge of the world.

"It's a crystal. What about it?" Vaan said.

I looked at him. Did he seriously just say that? I tried to brush it off as shock from what we saw affecting him. It was all I could hope for.

"Do you think that's what Cosmos wanted us to find? I mean, look at it." I said.

Laguna stared at it for a moment.

"I don't know, Snow. I'm pretty sure that's not what we're here for."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We'd found a crystal and he still wasn't convinced. What other proof did he need?

"How could-"

"I think Laguna's right, Snow. I'm pretty sure that crystal has a purpose, but…it's not for ours."

I looked at Vaan. To me…it seemed like Laguna was starting to affect him – even more so.

Vaan glanced at my face and back to the crystal.

"I mean…this place _is_ called "Crystal World", after all. Wouldn't you think it got that name _somehow_?" he said.

I didn't know what to say. I looked back at the crystal and thought for a moment. Maybe they were right after all actually. It did appear to just be…sitting there; no glow…nothing. It was also far too large to hold.

I dropped my head and sighed. I couldn't believe how stupidly I had just behaved. I was so focused on our mission that I was willing to accept anything positive that happened – whether or not it seemed too good to be true.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I just need to…sit down for a moment." I mumbled.

I fell onto the ground and sat silently as I stared at it silently. I could tell Laguna and Vaan were looking at me, but I didn't care to look up at them. I just needed to think for a bit.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll find our crystals, Snow. We just have to keep moving, that's all." Vaan said.

"Yeah. I'd have thought the same thing you did…had I not known any better." Laguna said.

He was really pushing it. He was insulting me now? Who was he to look down upon me so much? I was beginning to wonder how long I could hold it in. Since our quest began, all he'd done was practically criticize my ambitions. He wasn't my father – no matter what he thought. I may have never known mine…but, that didn't give him the right to assume the role. He was barely older than me, after all.

As much as I wanted to react…I held back. It wouldn't have done any good to say anything. We were supposed to be in this together, and I had to stick to that – despite the slight tension I now felt.

"Come on. Let's go. We're not going to find the real crystals if we keep sitting around." Vaan said.

I looked up at him for a moment. At least he was in contrast to Laguna's apparent…overbearing personality. It was reassuring to be traveling with someone a little more easygoing, at the least.

I glanced back at the ground and sighed again as I rose to my feet. Upon standing, I pulled something out of my pocket and stared at it in my hand. Looking at it brought a smile to my face. It reminded me of someone I cared deeply about and brought back the memory of a promise I'd made before leaving – before I had been summoned by Cosmos.

Vaan took a glance at it as he saw me staring at my hand.

"What's that?" he asked.

I glanced at Vaan upon hearing him speak and then turned back to the pendant.

"It's a memoir…of a friend back home. Someone I care about. Someone…I made a promise to." I said.

Vaan and Laguna both looked at me. For once, I could tell Laguna appeared to have a genuine sincerity in his expression. I was actually kind of surprised.

"Who? What kind of promise?" Vaan asked.

He was definitely rather curious. He had no problem asking questions about things that concerned him in _no_ way. Most people would have instantly been turned off by that, but…I didn't really care.

"Someone special back home. I told her…I'd always be there – to protect her and to make sure she was okay. I remember her face perfectly, but for some reason…I can't remember her name. Out of fear of forgetting her completely…I carry this around. I have to return to her. I have to." I said softly, holding it to my heart.

Vaan and Laguna seemed deeply affected by this – Vaan in particular. Something I said had hit them hard. I didn't know why or how. I was only telling them my reason for fighting – the reason I kept going, despite all that had happened so far.

"I can relate. I have someone back home, too." Vaan said, as he looked to the sky.

"Hmm?" I asked, looking at him.

Vaan looked at me.

"What? You thought you were the only one whom had a loved one left behind? Come on. You can't really be that shallow." Vaan said.

He had a hint of anger in his voice, but…I guess I couldn't really blame him. This war we'd been summoned to – all of us with no choice – had caused us to leave the lives we once knew and those we loved. The only thing that really kept us moving on…was the hope that we'd see them again when we were finished. That very thought had actually angered me, but…I knew things would be okay. They had to be. I wasn't going to break my promise to her.

Laguna stepped forward and looked back at us.

"Well…I'd say that's reason enough to heed our own words and keep moving forward, wouldn't you?" he said.

Vaan and I looked at him as he started walking forward.

"So, Laguna…why do you fight?" I asked.

Laguna stopped in his tracks and turned his head a little toward us.

"What?" he asked.

I looked at him with a concerned expression.

"You know…we all have a reason, right? Vaan and I just shared ours. What's yours? You can't be doing this just because you want to, can you?" I asked.

Laguna didn't answer for a moment. He appeared to be thinking as he lowered his head.

Vaan and I stared at him for a moment as we waited for a response.

"I _do_ have reasons." he said.

He continued walking, leaving us quite puzzled by his words.

"That's it?" I asked.

Laguna kept walking as he headed for our next destination.

"Come on, Snow." Vaan said.

He ran ahead to catch up with Laguna and I stared at the pendant one last time as I sighed. That memory hung in my mind…she was still waiting for me, whoever she was…I knew it. I had to get back to her somehow, and that's what I was going to do. I intended to keep my promise – it was all I had managed to remember, for one.

I put the pendant back in my pocket as I stared up at the crystal again. Looking at it made me smile a bit, as her face crossed my mind and I finally remembered what I'd forgotten this whole time.

"…Serah." I said quietly, smiling a bit at the forgotten memory that had finally resurfaced.

"_I looked ahead at Vaan and Laguna and slowly followed them as we continued on our way. This time…I didn't care where we going. I only cared that we got there and achieved our goal. The sooner we did – the sooner I could return home; return to Serah. It was a promise that wasn't meant to be broken and I had no intention of letting that happen…no matter what."_

***Author's Note* - **I'm aware this chapter is a little longer than the previous chapters. Consider it my way of making up for the slow updates recently.


	17. A Fair Temptation

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Fair Temptation**

"_We made our way to a…very strange world, to say the least. It was filled with floating chunks of rock and rising, green falls of sorts – all leading up to a huge, black hole at the very top. I was disoriented at the very sight of the place. It was unlike any place I'd ever been to and I couldn't say it was exciting. As for Lightning, well…she seemed just as out of place as I was."_

"Okay, so…where are we now?" Lightning asked, looking around.

She studied the area and tried to gain some clue as to where we were. I was still kind of confused as to how we'd ended up here. After all, there was no apparent entrance or exit, yet somehow…here we were. This whole quest was only getting more interesting – and not necessarily in a good way.

"I wish I knew. I'm not even sure how we got here." I said.

Lightning shook her head and looked at the ground.

"This is stupid. All we've been doing since this began was run into problems and dead ends. Puzzles were never my thing and honestly…I'm getting aggravated."

She was clearly angry and really…I couldn't blame her. She had a point. Cosmos had sent us on this quest in search of crystals and so far…we'd had yet to find even a clue to any. Was it wrong to think we'd never find them? Even more so…that they even truly existed?

I looked at Lightning for a moment as she stood there in silence – thinking again.

"Maybe we should just keep going." I said.

She looked at me.

"To where? Any place we go will just lead to another dead end and wondering what's next. I'm sick of wondering. I want to know."

I thought for a moment. Again, she was right. Where _could _we go that wouldn't leave us empty-handed and filled with more doubt? Every turn we'd made so far had only left us with questions still unanswered. We still had yet to figure out what was really going on – the thing that pulled at us the most.

I tried to keep a straight face and be strong in front of Lightning. I just felt that one of us had to stay positive – despite how hard it was.

"I want to know, too. Which is why I think we should just keep moving forward – so we can find out. Obviously, there's nothing here."

Lightning scoffed.

"Obviously. There's nothing anywhere. We're chasing a fantasy made up just to keep us occupied in this hopeless war. We were stupid to go along with it for as long as we have."

She turned around back toward where we'd come from.

"…I'm done."

I looked at her in shock by her words. Lightning was giving up? Of all people – Lightning was giving up. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to.

"What?" I asked.

She looked at me from the corner of her eye as she turned her head a little.

"I'm sorry, Zack. It's got nothing to do with you. I just can't do this anymore. I won't keep pursuing some stupid illusion. Cosmos…she obviously doesn't care about us. Our lives are forfeit as far as she and Chaos are concerned. If you haven't realized that yet…you're in for a rude awakening."

I thought for a moment as I stared at the ground in silence.

Lightning looked ahead again and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I'm out of here."

She started walking off again as I stood there watching. I wanted to say something to try and stop her…but, what? There wasn't anything I could think of that could make her change her mind. One thing I had learned about Lightning - was that once she made a decision…nothing could change it.

As soon as she was out of sight, I realized I was now alone. How hard would things become now that it was just me? They'd already been hard enough with two people. Still…I decided I had to keep on going and walked in the opposite direction Lightning had gone. Before I could take two steps, I found myself face to face with a familiar figure.

"Hello, Zack," a voice said.

I looked ahead at the sound of his voice.

"You! Sephiroth!"

I quickly drew my sword and faced him, ready to fight and fully expecting one.

Sephiroth only laughed, leaving me quite confused. Why wasn't he drawing his sword? Hadn't he arrived to fight me and try to stop me from advancing?

"Smart boy. However…I didn't come here to fight you, believe it or not." he said.

I didn't believe it. What reason had he ever given me, or anyone, to trust him? I wasn't about to let my guard down with him around. I stared at him as he walked to the right a little, seemingly thinking to himself – which got me more suspicious.

"I see you're alone. What happened to that pink-haired ally of yours? I thought soldiers stuck together." he said.

I didn't want to think about Lightning right now – or what had just happened between us. I figured he was trying to distract me, so I tried to brush it off.

"She had somewhere else to be. Not that you need to know."

He smirked as he closed his eyes for a moment.

"I see. It's rather unfortunate that she'd leave you at such a time…in such a place as this."

"Just shut up and tell me why you're here already." I demanded, already sick of his mind games.

I glared at his back as he stood facing away from me for a moment.

"So hasty. I only wanted to make a deal." he said.

I scoffed at that statement right away.

"Yeah, right. Why would I make a deal with you?"

"Because…I can give you something you're missing. Something you've been searching for since this began." he said.

I thought for a moment and realized what he was saying.

"My crystal? _You_ have it?"

He laughed lightly to himself.

"That's not quite what I meant. You should know by now that the crystals you and your allies seek don't truly exist. I'm talking about something else that you find _much_ more valuable."

I tried to understand what he was saying, but nothing came to mind. What could I be missing that I didn't _know_ I was missing? It didn't make sense. I figured he really _was_ lying now.

"Think about it. What's the one thing you left behind when Cosmos called up on you and brought you into this conflict?"

I tried to think, though I didn't want to listen to him. I was sure he was pulling some kind of trick. I knew better than to give into his games. Still…something tore at me from inside – like he was actually telling the truth. I _was_ missing something after all…but, I couldn't think of what it was.

"I can give you back your memories. Everything you lost sight of when you came here – your world, your home, your friends…I can give it all back to you if you want it. Isn't that what you're truly searching for? Admit it. It was never the crystals you were after. It was your memories - your desire to return to the world you once called home."

I looked at the floor as I lowered my sword. I hadn't realized how much I'd forgotten until now. All I could recall was a faint recollection of the world I once knew. I couldn't even remember what it was called anymore.

"Wouldn't you like to go home, Zack? Back to the world where all your friends are waiting? You can get out of this conflict now and let your worries fade away."

It sounded too good to be true. Could he really do that? I wanted to believe it, but it was hard to. After all, Sephiroth was never known for his honesty. I couldn't afford any foolish thinking to interfere in my goal. Cosmos was counting on me and I didn't want to let her down.

I looked at Sephiroth.

"What if I did believe you?"

Sephiroth smirked lightly at my words.

"Do you?"

I didn't want to say yes, but I somehow found it hard to say no. All I'd wanted since this whole thing began, was to go back home. He'd been right about that. But, now that the opportunity had seemingly presented itself…I struggled to accept it.

I stood silently as I kept thinking to myself and Sephiroth turned his back to me again.

"Well…when you've made up your mind, come see me. You'll know where to find me." he said.

I watched as he disappeared right in front of me, leaving me to wonder. I didn't know what to make of it all. Something didn't feel right, but at the same time…it was the only opportunity I'd gotten and I didn't want to risk passing it up. What was the right thing to do?

I stood with my face aligned to my sword as I closed my eyes.

"…Sephiroth." I mumbled.

"_I quickly took off in pursuit of him, not really knowing where to go just yet. I knew I could be falling into a trap. I knew what I was risking. However, I also knew that Sephiroth was the key to achieving my goal – obtaining my crystal. I didn't care what he said. I knew they were real…they had to be. And, if I wanted to get mine…I had to confront him, and that's what I was going to do. But, there was one thing I didn't know…and nothing could have prepared me for what it was."_


	18. Close Encounters

** Dissidia 011: Undecim **

**Close Encounters**

"_Our search for Garnet brought us to what was called, "The Rift". It was definitely a strange sight to behold, to say the least. Still…I didn't let it get to me much. I intended to find Garnet and nothing would distract me from that. If anything, I was more concerned with Bartz. He had a habit of straying – and I didn't just mean physically."_

"Oh, man. Where do you think she is?" Bartz asked.

"I don't know. She couldn't have just disappeared from this world altogether. She's got to be somewhere. It's not like we've checked every possible place." I answered.

Bartz dropped his arms and leaned forward.

"Aww…we'll be searching for the rest of our lives if we search every single place in this world. Garnet could be anywhere by now."

"That depends on who took her though." I said.

Bartz looked at me for a moment.

"And…who exactly do you think that was?" he asked.

I didn't reply. There was so much going through my mind at the moment that I couldn't focus on anything else easily. This whole thing was getting exhausting; the fighting, the searching…everything. All I really wanted now, was to go home. Still…I couldn't forget the real reason I was still going. Somehow…that was the only memory I'd managed to cling to while here.

Bartz leaned forward a little and lowered his head to look at my face.

"Earth to Locke. Are you alright?"

I jumped out of my state of my mind and back to what was going on.

"Huh?"

Bartz took a small step back upon my reaction.

"Easy. You just seem…sort of distracted by something. I wanted to make sure you were okay." he said.

I stared at the ground for a moment as I thought to myself for another second. I couldn't tell Bartz what all was going on with me. It's not like he would understand anyway, right? Besides, really…he had no business knowing. My secrets were mine alone.

I looked at him and nodded, hoping he would leave it alone.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Let's go find Garnet!"

Bartz stared at me for a moment and I could tell he wasn't entirely convinced. Still…he nodded anyway and we continued our search.

Before we got anywhere near the exit, we heard a loud laugh that filled the air.

"Huh?"

"Well, well…what do we have here?" a voice said.

I recognized it right away and my anger quickly rose to an extreme as the person appeared before us.

"Locke Cole and his short-of-wit lackey. I've been looking for you. I must say you are not the easiest of Cosmos' warriors to track down, that's for sure."

"Kefka!" I said.

He looked at me with a grin.

"Oh, so you do remember me then. I guess I'm a little surprised. Of all the memories you've lost since being summoned to this battlefield, it's amazing what of them still manages to linger."

"What are you talking about?" Bartz asked.

"Hmm…well, I could tell you. But, after all…what's the point in explaining something about memories to a person who's already lost all of theirs?"

I could tell this greatly confused Bartz as he backed off, seemingly thinking about what that could mean. I, however, wasn't going to play his games. He had something I'd been looking for and I intended to get it back. Now, was my chance, too.

"Kefka." I said, as I walked toward him.

"Oh, right, Locke Cole. Sorry, momentary lapse. I'd forgotten you were here for a moment. Whoops!"

He laughed at his own words for a moment.

I scoffed at his antics.

"Talk about losing memories." I mumbled.

Kefka regained himself and looked at me.

"Is there something I can trouble you with, perhaps? Get it? Trouble?" he said, breaking out in laughter again.

It was annoying to hear that stupid laugh. I couldn't take it anymore. He was _not _getting out of here until I got what I'd come for.

"You know what I want. Now, just…give it back!" I ordered.

He looked at me for a moment, seemingly playing dumb. It was obvious he knew what I was talking about, but I also knew it wouldn't be that easy. He wasn't going to give up just like that. Even I knew that wasn't possible.

"Hmm...let me see. What do I have that Locke Cole could possibly want? Thinking, thinking…nope – haven't got a clue." he said, laughing again.

I was filled with more anger now. His stupid games were going too far and nothing was getting anywhere. Unfortunately, if I kept talking, I'd say too much…and Bartz would finally figure out my big secret.

"Kefka, just-" I said, stopping in mid-sentence.

I stood there in silence not really knowing what to say next. I had to think of something that may even have a chance of getting him to fall for it.

Bartz looked at me.

"Locke?"

I didn't reply. This was the chance I'd been waiting for and somehow…I'd lost the words I'd had this whole time.

"Where's Garnet?"

"Who?" Kefka asked.

I kept on talking, ignoring his dumb mind games.

"You know who I'm talking about. That girl you kidnapped as we fled your tower. Where is she?"

Kefka thought for a moment.

"Oh! Her. Actually, I have no idea whom you're talking about, but you might try asking another friend of mine, hmm?"

I glared at him as Bartz and I both grumbled a bit. Who could he be talking about? If he didn't kidnap Garnet…who had? I figured it was just his way of weaseling out of this and I wasn't going to let that happen. He had gone far enough even before all of this began.

"Well, it seems our time together has run short. I must be going now, but I'll leave you with this lovely parting gift. You don't need to thank me." he said.

He instantly summoned a few manikins and Bartz and I prepared to fight.

"Grr…" I grumbled.

Kefka left immediately, his voice echoing hysterically through the Rift as he did. I was so angry - I couldn't think about anything else but him and what everything he had done that led up to this – even before it all ever began.

"Locke, focus. We've got company, remember?" Bartz said.

I shook off what I was feeling and looked around.

"Right. Sorry."

We braced ourselves for the manikins as we dashed toward them without a second thought.

"HAH!"

"_We began fighting, not really thinking about how hard it may be.. Still…it was hard to focus with everything that had happened and was happening now. I'd had a chance to get back what I came for…and it slipped from my hands, much to my dismay. Next time we met though, I would be sure to get it back. As for Garnet…I could only hope she was alright for now."_


	19. Scheming Vengeance

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Scheming Vengeance**

Ultimecia stood facing the Emperor and Garland.

"Cosmos' warriors are beginning to regain their lost memories. If they were to manage to remember all that happened before being called here, that could very well affect our goals. I take it you are aware of this fact?" she said.

The Emperor stared back at her with a straight face, clearly unfazed by such news.

"Yes, I am – and it's hardly worth noting. Whether they were truly able to remember everything or not, it does not exactly interfere with all we're working toward. Memories are nothing more than a hindrance…and are easily manipulated, as you know." he said.

Ultimecia smirked a little at his words.

"Hmph. I understand. No use fixating on something so meaningless after all."

She turned around – her back facing them, as she spoke again.

"However, there is something else…" she said.

"Oh?" the Emperor asked.

Ultimecia closed her eyes for a moment as she began to explain.

"Aside from their memories returning as we speak, it appears such an occurrence is also allowing them to figure out what is truly going on behind this conflict. Now, if they were to do _that_…" she said.

She turned around as she spoke that last sentence.

"I trust you know-"

"Enough! Do not speak another word of such nonsense, Ultimecia." the Emperor interrupted, slamming the bottom of his staff onto the ground.

Ultimecia looked at him, unalarmed by his words.

"The pawns of Cosmos cannot possibly, truly find their crystals, as we know. They have yet to realize the futility in their search and thus, continue hopelessly on such a vain and misleading quest. You, too, know this to be true. Do not tell me you have actually come to believe they may succeed. They are tools – and tools are worthless if they serve no use." the Emperor stated.

Ultimecia smirked as she faced away from them again.

"I see you are still quite confident of our plan. I do not wish to deny its grandeur, so don't trouble yourself with such thoughts. I only tell you this so that you may be aware of the possible consequences that could occur, should things beyond our control come to surface."

The Emperor still was firm in his belief and thoughts.

"Nothing outside of our control stands even a mere chance of occurring, as we _are _the ones in control. Where does this hint of the slightest denial in our carefully laid plan arise from?" he said, angrily.

Ultimecia didn't respond. It wasn't that she was losing faith in their plan - she knew she wasn't dumb enough to help concoct one and then think against it later. Still, due to that kind of thinking…she also knew very well that they couldn't afford to completely underestimate their adversaries any longer.

"No denial and no betrayal from me. I still stand true to our plan as well. I am no fool." she said.

"Nor am I." the Emperor replied.

"As is with me. The warriors of Cosmos shall never see the day they obtain their crystals. How does one obtain what does not exist, after all?" Garland said.

The Emperor smirked at his words. He was glad Garland still seemed to stand on the same page as him, despite what even Ultimecia appeared to be giving into now.

"A fine point indeed, Garland. There is no reason to worry even in the slightest. Everything has been carefully thought out to ensure our victory once again. Should this conflict ever truly end, it will be in favor of Chaos. We are to make sure of that…and we have." he said.

Garland spoke again in hopes of giving Ultimecia the confidence she appeared to be losing, whether she admitted to it or not.

"This conflict is at the whim of the Great Will and Shinryu, as we all are aware. They have not waned in their loyalty and ties to Chaos and would never consider the thought. Put your mind at ease, witch…this war has already been assured – as with the previous cycles."

Ultimecia looked at him and the Emperor before nodding.

"I appreciate the concern, but I have already told you - I do not doubt our victory. Still, I only speak such words due to how Cosmos' warriors have managed to defeat the manikins at every turn they've been attacked. They are, at the least, proving far more powerful than we anticipated. _That_…is my only reason I deign to speak so, as you assume – disdainfully, towards our plan. I in no way, as previously mentioned, directly think or plan to act against it now."

The Emperor and Garland glanced at each other silently for a moment before they, too, nodded in understanding.

"Very well. We have had enough traitorous intentions of the late. Any more would certainly be far more unfortunate." the Emperor said.

Ultimecia was curious of his words as her face changed to a more perplexed expression.

"Interesting indeed. What news is it you have failed to mention?" she asked.

The Emperor scowled at the very thought of having to repeat the thing that fueled his current swell of aggression and anger.

"I've learned from Sephiroth that we indeed have a traitor in our midst. It is rather unfortunate, although I also must admit…not unexpected."

Ultimecia looked at him as she folded her arms.

"I see. And, how would Sephiroth have acquired this information?"

"Do not trouble yourself with that thought. I do not doubt his words or intentions in any area. My only concern now is how to deal with our little…fork, if you will." the Emperor answered.

Ultimecia stared at him for a moment before smirking, realizing where he was going. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought.

"Well, it seems Exdeath is good for something, after all."

The Emperor and Garland were greatly shocked and confused by her words.

"Exdeath?" they asked.

She grinned at their reactions.

"Yes. He was skeptical of Barthandelus from the very beginning. Thinking that such an event may occur, we both agreed to keep a close eye on him. As Exdeath appears to be quite good at gathering information unexpectedly, it was too clear we should take advantage of his obvious and…very helpful skills. Your news only serves to prove that he can be quite the useful tool himself when applied carefully."

The Emperor didn't know whether to be angry or pleased by Ultimecia's cunning scheme.

"Are you saying you were aware of his treachery, yet chose to hide it from us?" he asked.

"Not exactly. I was more along the lines of…being careful; waiting to make sure I was correct in my assumptions. If I hadn't been…I wouldn't have tipped off Sephiroth as to Barthandelus' true intentions." she replied.

She looked at them as they stared back at her silently and curiously.

"Do you honestly doubt my own intentions? I assure you…there is no reason to believe I would be so foolish as to act so defiantly against Chaos – as I've said before."

The both looked at each other again and back at Ultimecia.

"Very well then. As you are obviously more informed of our "ally's" true colors…perhaps you might have the fitting plan we so seek in mind, hmm?" the Emperor said.

Ultimecia held her hand to her face as she smirked at his words once again. She'd been waiting for the opportunity to present itself and it finally had.

"I assure you…our dear friend, Barthandelus, will rue his own ambitions in the end."

The Emperor smirked now as well and Garland laughed to himself. Barthandelus was more than certain to face the consequences for his actions now ...and they would make sure more than just regret filled him in the end.


	20. Truth In Shadow

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Truth In Shadow**

"_We wandered – more and more, never really getting anywhere. Our crystals appeared to be nowhere in sight and not even a hint of them came to us. I couldn't really describe how I felt nor could I begin to tell with Zidane -he always tried to stay optimistic. Squall, however…it was hard to say, but at the same time…he may truly have been annoyed by something _other_ than us."_

"This is useless. We're getting nowhere fast and I'm running out of patience." Squall said.

Zidane scoffed a little as he looked at Squall.

"Squall Leonhart impatient. There's a shock." he joked, but in a serious manner.

Squall didn't reply. He just stared ahead at the path before us.

I didn't want to agree with Squall, mainly because I still felt him to be a bit…hard, to say the least, but…I found myself at a loss for hope – that _anything_ could still be worth it after all of this. Still…I tried; struggled to find that last remaining bit of hope I had in me. It wasn't easy to bring it out.

"Cosmos said to find the crystals. Why would she set us on a quest that has no purpose; in vain? Maybe we should just…go a little further. It can't hurt."

Squall appeared to think for a moment while Zidane looked ahead again.

"You're right. So, come on! Cosmos herself said that. We have no reason to doubt her, right?" Zidane stated.

He started to move forward and I hesitated to follow this time. I was glad that somebody out of us still held high to his hopes, but…I couldn't deny that it might also just be due to denial. After all, we'd come so far and still had nothing to show for it. If that was the case…had anyone else even found theirs? Or, were they facing the same situation we were? I couldn't begin to go in either direction with that thought. I knew which way I _wanted_ to lean, but…I couldn't let myself steep so far into naivety. I had to be real. The reality was…that we appeared to fighting a useless battle with no guarantees.

Zidane looked back at us and saw we hadn't moved.

"Hey, come on. What's with you two? The others will be waiting and we're holding them up."

I didn't have an answer as I actually found myself glancing at Squall. He had his eyes closed – again, and his head leaned to the side a little.

"You can do whatever you want. I'm not going anywhere else with empty hopes and knowledge. I won't jump into something without a real purpose." Squall mumbled.

Zidane looked at him and I could tell he was a bit angered by Squall's words.

"Without purpose? Cosmos' faith in us and words alone mean nothing to you, then? She would never have us do something without such things. What would she gain from using us in the way you seem to imply?" he said, a fierce glare in his eyes.

Squall was unalarmed by his reaction. I was still at odds as to how he managed to keep so cool in every situation. Was he just born without feelings or something? Or…maybe even a personality in general. It was weird, to say the least. He was somebody I figured I'd never understand. Apparently, though…I wasn't the only one, so that made it easier to come to terms with.

He stood silently, unresponsive to anything around him and leaving Zidane without an answer still.

"Do you think the others have given up already? We can't allow ourselves to be beaten like this just because things seem bleak. You say you refuse to go on without real purpose, huh? Well, I refuse to give up just because we're still empty-handed." Zidane said, balling his fist as he spoke.

He was clearly upset with us, and I could honestly understand why. I hated feeling this way, but still…what else could I believe anymore? It was discouraging and I couldn't deny that any longer. Like Squall, I too, couldn't continue on without a clear reason.

"Zidane, I…" I mumbled, struggling to find the words.

Zidane glared at us from me to Squall and back, clearly hoping that one of us would come to our senses and regain the hope we'd lost. I wanted to – I really did, but…I couldn't. I hated to admit such a thing, and yet…I was only being honest.

"Do what you will. I'm not swaying from my words and beliefs. You two can keep at it – fighting and wandering in this endless struggle. I won't fight or move without a reason…I mean it. I'll be fine alone. Go." Squall said.

Zidane made a face at him that said he was done with Squall's negativity. He looked at me, still holding a semblance of hope that I'd change my mind; become the person I had been when we first started off. But, I couldn't find that part of me at this particular time. I had lost sight of it when I'd lost hope.

"Balthier." Zidane said.

I could only sigh, not even looking at him as I dropped my head.

Zidane had finally had it and clenched his fist one more time.

"Fine. You two can stay here and wallow in your pity and despair. I'm not letting you bring me down with you. I'll find the crystals on my own!" he said, angrily.

He quickly turned around and dashed off without looking back.

"Zidane!" I hollered, reaching my hand out.

He ran out of sight and Squall and I stood there in silence.

".He's bold. I just don't know if he's nuts, or…" Squall said.

I glanced at him and then looked to the ground in regret. It wasn't like me to behave like this. I couldn't even believe I was. What had truly come over me to make me say and think such? I found myself bearing a bit of shame toward my actions as well. That was even worse than the burden of despair.

"We should follow him, shouldn't we? I mean, it's Zidane. There's no telling what he'll get himself into…especially after this." I said.

Squall closed his eyes again for a moment.

"…I suppose, maybe…I can find the reason I need if we went a little further. Just for Zidane though. I know how reckless he can be."

I smiled lightly at his words and we started moving forward, only to be halted by the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar figure.

"Warriors of Cosmos." he said.

Squall and I both quickly drew our weapons, ready to fight if necessary.

"You are on your guard. I see. You are wise – I'll say that." he said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Golbez. I am a warrior of your adversary, Chaos."

His words only gave more reason to be cautious.

"Chaos, huh? Then that makes you our adversary as well. You've picked a bad time to show up."

Golbez wasn't hesitant in the slightest as he stood facing us, his face concealed behind a strange, dark helmet. That only made it harder to read what he might be thinking – which put me on edge even more so.

"On the contrary, I have picked the right time to appear to you. You must look beyond the boundaries of friend and foe for a few mere moments. I only come with a warning to you and your allies." he said.

Squall and I glanced at each other, confused by his words and still not quite willing to let our guard down.

"Warning?"

We looked at him in question and confusion, not quite sure whether we could trust him or not. Still…something inside of us told us to listen, and we found it hard to ignore.

"If you would heed the words of a foe, you must be aware of what lies ahead for you. Some allies of mine have gone to great lengths to ensure the victory of Chaos in this conflict. The crystals you seek are the key to everything."

Squall and I found ourselves instantly enticed by what he was saying. He hadn't said much yet, but already…we got the feeling he was sincere – even Squall.

"What exactly do you know?" Squall asked, a hint of caution in his voice.

Golbez looked at him closely.

"Shall you continue, you are destined to fall in this battle. That you shall perish, each of you to the last ending with Cosmos…that is the will and intention of Chaos and those aligned with him."

"We'll actually die, you mean?" I asked, a little taken aghast by this sudden news.

It had never occurred to me that something so severe could happen. I'd only ever seen it as a harmless, yet difficult, adventure of sorts. I never truly imagined the risks it held…but, now they'd come to light and none seemed any more pleasant to deal with…or think about.

"Yes. The rules of this conflict and this world are at the whim of Shinryu. Beware of the manikins…a loss to them would be one of which even Shinryu could not defy."

Something greatly troubled me aside from the fact that we faced death at the hands of Chaos' warriors – whether or not we found our crystals.

"Who's…Shinryu?" I asked.

Golbez's answer only confused me more really, much to my dismay.

"If you would forgive me, I cannot tell you that. But, be warned…you must listen to these words I deliver to you. My allies will stop at nothing to make sure their plans do not fail. The power they hold is more than you might consider to be possible. Like Cosmos, Chaos was careful and in whom he chose as his warriors – those whom are in direct contrast, both in power and ability, to those of Cosmos. They will not fall easily. If you wish to find what you seek…you must know what you face should you continue on your way. I offer this advice to you as nothing more than a harmless notion."

I thought about what he said as I slowly looked toward the ground. Squall, however, wasn't quite convinced still.

"Why should we truly believe the words of an enemy? Words mean nothing when it comes to battle." he said.

Golbez seemed to understand why Squall was hesitant to comply.

"Whether or not you choose to believe me, is up to you. I have given you the warning. What you do with this news, is your choice. Still…I'd hate to imagine anything should befall your friends – that girl, for instance."

Squall looked at Golbez closely with suspicion.

"What do you mean? What girl?" he asked.

Golbez quickly disappeared without a response, leaving Squall and I to think on his words.

"What do we do? What _can_ we do? If we go on, we put so much at risk. But, if we don't…"

I stopped myself as I thought again, staring at the ground in despair.

"There's _nothing_ we can do. There's no way out of this…is there?"

Squall stood silently, staring at the ground as he was deep in thought. Deeper than usually – he seemed to be struggling with something this time. I didn't know what it was, but I was sure it had to do with what Golbez told us.

"Squall?" I asked.

He didn't answer as he looked at his palm.

"Girl. What girl?" he whispered to himself.

Suddenly, it came to mind as he quickly lifted his head, gasping a little upon doing so.

"No!" he said, quickly running off.

"SQUALL!" I shouted, taking a step forward.

He was out of sight in an instant and I was left alone. I didn't know where he had gone or what had come over him. All I knew now was that I was on my own. All that was left with me, was Golbez's words of caution and risk.

They weighed heavily on me as I started moving forward, going whatever direction my feet led me.

"I just want to go home. That's all." I mumbled, as I slowly trekked on my way.

"_I didn't know where I'd go or what I'd do when I got there. I just kept walking, hoping something would come up – something that was a bit more enlightening, in contrast to the despair that now piled on top of me. I couldn't think. I could barely even walk. Death. We'd never been fighting to get home. We'd been fighting…to stay alive."_


	21. Starstruck

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Starstruck**

"Bartz? Locke?" I said quietly, looking around in the darkness I'd found myself in.

I couldn't remember what had happened. Everything was a blur for the most part. All I could recall was shouting for them and not being heard. I still wasn't clear on exactly what had happened. All I knew now though…was that I was somehow in another place. I just didn't know what that place was.

"Hello?" I asked, slowly creeping forward.

My heart beat faster. There was no sound other than my footsteps – which I tried to keep quiet. I grabbed onto my amulet tight as I kept moving. It was so dark; nearly pitch black. All I could do was keep walking forward…or, at least what I thought was forward.

"…Zidane?" I said, whimpering.

No one replied still and I figured I really was alone.

"Where am I? Where'd everyone go?"

I glanced upward at more darkness.

"Where'd _I_ go?"

I looked down as I kept grasping my amulet. I was scared. I didn't know what to do or where to go. I couldn't even see anything – which only made it far worse. I had no idea where I was, why, or how. I just…was.

I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to fill my head with positive thoughts in hopes of getting through this easier. It wasn't like I thought some kind of monster would attack me out of nowhere, but after all we'd been through…it wasn't too hard to imagine something like it happening – especially now.

"I've got to get out of here and find Cosmos. Everyone's probably there already."

I said such as a means to drive myself to get out of this place. I figured if I gave myself good enough reason…I'd be out before I knew it – before anything could happen. I picked up my pace as I headed forward a little faster. I didn't see any signs of a door or any way out, but I kept moving. If I didn't let it get to me, I wouldn't be afraid. If I wasn't afraid, I could get out of here. That alone…was enough for me.

Before I got much further though, I suddenly saw a light come on and shine down on a small area ahead of me.

"What?"

I stopped right in my tracks as I stared ahead at the light. I tried to get an idea of where I was by looking at the area it was lighting – but nothing.

"Hello?" I asked quietly, again creeping toward it slowly.

Someone was obviously here and depending on who it was – I tried not to be seen or heard just yet. I could only hope who it could be, but what were the chances I was right, after all?

"Zidane? Is that you?"

I stepped a little closer and finally got my answer as someone's voice rang out.

"Ladies and gentlemen…welcome to the show starring your favorite star!"

I recognized the voice immediately as a figure jumped into the light and started spinning in the air.

"…ME!" the figure shouted with a grin, as all the lights came on and I saw I was at the M.S. Prima Vista.

"Kuja!" I said, as my jaw dropped in shock and horror.

Kuja looked at me with a smirk.

"Oh, what have here now? Garnet? Well, well, welcome to the show! You're just in time, girl."

I didn't know what he was talking about, but I wasn't in the mood for his games…or his stupid "show". It was obvious to me now what was going on and I _really_ wasn't happy about it.

"What have you done to Zidane?" I asked, angrily, trying to hide any fear I still had.

"Zidane? Nothing…yet." he said.

I looked at him in question.

"What?"

Kuja seemed more than happy to answer my questions, which I found quite disturbing more than anything. I knew his actions and way of thinking all too well – so I knew when he was truly up to no good.

"It's unfortunate that Zidane is not here at this moment. My show was going to be made especially for him. What an ungrateful worm, he is."

He looked at me and I glared back at him.

"But...now that you're here as a little bonus, we may see him yet after all!" he said, laughing to himself.

I didn't know what he was planning, but I was not about to be bait for Zidane. I'd officially had enough of Kuja, Chaos, and the others. I was sick of being treated as a game piece and constantly put in check. For once…it was time to turn the tables.

Without thinking, I found myself bracing to fight. I really wasn't quite sure what I'd do all by myself, but something would come to mind…I hoped. Either way, there was only one thing on my mind – that Kuja had to pay. No matter what it took, I was willing to make sure he did.

"Oh, what's this? You want to fight me? How preciously naïve." he said, as he laughed again.

I didn't reply. I just kept staring at him angrily; ready to do whatever it took to take him down. I actually couldn't believe what I was thinking, but I did what I could to hide any doubts. I couldn't let him see a weak point.

"You know – you yourself should also consider show-business." he said.

"I won't let you hurt Zidane…or anybody anymore." I said, staring him down.

Kuja smirked as he turned his head a bit.

"Quite a mouth you've got, girl. You seem to have forgotten your place here. This is my show – and if that's so…" he said, as he floated into the air.

I watched him rise, a bit of fear swelling up. I didn't know what was going to happen next, but I really wished now that I had just kept running.

"You're just a PROP!" he shouted, as he shot a few orbs at me.

I did my best to dodge them, barely managing to do so successfully, much to even my surprise.

Kuja looked down at me in disgust as he grunted before firing more.

I did my best to dodge those as well, but with an even closer call than before. I wasn't very fast, so I knew I couldn't keep doing this. One more time, and…I didn't even want to think about that.

"Well, it seems our show has been delayed on due to circumstances beyond our control." Kuja said.

We both stared at each other for a moment before he spoke again.

"But…the how those circumstances are resolved, well…that's a different story." he said, as his orbs gathered closer around him.

I gave up trying to hide my fear as I finally cowered, burying my face in my hands as I dropped my head. I could feel it undoubtedly. This was it. It was all over for me right here and now. There was no way I could possibly get out of this alive.

Kuja unleashed Ultima on me without hesitation…and I had nowhere to run as I could feel them coming down toward me. I took what I expected to be my last breath.

"GARNET!" a voice shouted.

The next thing I knew, I was flying through the air and heard Ultima crashing into the ground - the sound getting fainter every second.

I felt my feet touch the ground and slowly opened my eyes.

"What?" I asked, looking around.

I wasn't sure what to make of it. What had just happened? I should have been hit by Ultima, and yet somehow…I was still alive; unscarred. There was no reason it should have worked out like that.

"Garnet." the same voice from before said.

I recognized it, too, right away and turned around to see Zidane.

"ZIDANE!" I shouted, hugging him right away.

There was no doubt in my mind it was really him and I had no hesitation as I held him tight and so did he. He had saved me – just as he'd promised he'd always do. Knowing exactly how real that promise was now…there weren't enough words to express how I felt.

"Are you alright? It's okay. You're safe now. I'm sorry I was late." he said.

I shook my head quickly.

"No. It's fine. You were just in time. Thank you."

I smiled and nodded, letting him know he hadn't let me down. After what he'd done…I was sure he never could.

"CURSE YOU, ZIDANE!" Kuja's voice echoed through the area.

Zidane and I looked back toward the center of the Prima Vista and saw Kuja in his trance. He had clearly gotten serious now.

I looked at Zidane in a panic and he nodded in response. I knew what he was thinking, but I couldn't let him do it. If something had happened to him…I didn't want to think about that either.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." he said.

I looked at him in worry and I could tell it showed upon seeing his reaction. Still…he only smiled at me again and leaned toward me.

"I promise."

He turned back around and ran toward Kuja, ready to take him on alone. I wanted to go and help him; fight by his side in appreciation for saving my life. Unfortunately, I was still shaken up from what had happened before and I could barely move because of it. I could only hope he'd truly be okay. He had promised, yes. But, still…I couldn't help but worry for him.

As I saw them start fighting from a distance, it only made me want to jump in even more. I couldn't let him do it alone – no matter what he said. I had to do something. I had to. My heart raced. A million thoughts flashed through my mind. I knew that if I didn't take this chance, I could end up regretting it. _How_ I would exactly…was what got to me. I couldn't afford to let fear take over as it was.

"Zidane!"

I started to rush to his aide when I was blocked by the appearance of manikins.

"What?" I asked, seeing that my path was blocked.

I slowly backed up. I could see Zidane and Kuja behind them, but it killed me that I couldn't get to them. I looked at the manikins – they're cold, eerie eyes piercing me with their creepy stares. The fact that they didn't talk…only made them creepier, in the least.

I didn't know what to do – again. I couldn't very well fight them all, but I couldn't just stand back and risk something happening to Zidane either. What could I do? I had to think of something.

Suddenly, one of them struck at me without warning and I saw its blade come down on me fast. It was too fast for me to react in time – like déjà vu.

I quickly lowered my head. I couldn't stand it. This truly was it.

"GARNET! NO!" Zidane shouted.

"AAHH!" I screamed.

Suddenly…it was quiet. Nothing. Was I dead? I was, wasn't I? It was all dark…again. Everything that had just happened was a blur that become foggier each second. The last thing to fade from my mind...was Zidane's shout of terror. Then, I heard someone calling my name.

"GARNET!" a voice hollered.

I heard footsteps running toward me as I slowly opened my eyes.

_***Author's Note***_ - **First of all, I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little off at times. I stupidly chose to write this late at night, and I apologize as it was intended to be one of my best since it's significant to the story. Also, speaking of significance…the "Teen" rating I gave this story will be made obvious as to why within the next few chapters. **


	22. Chaos and Conflict

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Chaos and Conflict**

"Ah! Golbez."

I approached him calmly and casually, giving little hint that I knew what had just happened.

"Seymour. What business do you have here?" he asked.

I could only smirk as I turned it back on him.

"I could say the same thing to you. Those…intriguing fellows you were talking with. Warriors of Cosmos, I assume. Correct?"

I could tell he knew that I knew by the way he stood looking at me through that dark helmet. I couldn't see his face, but I could still feel his stare. He actually appeared to have a hint of panic, but it wasn't really enough to play off…yet.

"You looked like you were having a nice chat. Care to enlighten me as to what about?"

Golbez stared in silence for a moment before he spoke again.

"…What I do is of no concern or consequence for you. Leave me."

He turned around to walk away when Exdeath appeared, blocking his path the other way.

"You know very well what we do to traitors, I assume." Exdeath said, sounding all too eager to take action.

Exdeath had never really approved of Golbez and had always, too, had a knack for pointing out any traitorous, treachery, or uncertainty in any warrior. Barthandelus had already been exposed, whether he knew it or not, and it was Exdeath whom had been right there to catch him. There really was no reason for me to doubt him here. Besides, Golbez usually did make it a habit to sneak away and give the appearance of a double-agent half the time. It was essential that all possible threats to Chaos be eliminated…no matter what or _who_ they were.

Golbez stared Exdeath down calmly – again, unfazed by the accusations we were clearly making against him.

"I am no traitor. Catching me on the spur of the moment "chatting" with our adversaries, proves nothing. I have no direct business with Cosmos or her warriors. The accusations you are attempting to pin on me are but for naught."

Exdeath and I glanced ahead at each other upon hearing his words.

"Even if so, you have a brother fighting on the side of Cosmos. Surely, that would be cause for you to hesitate for fear of having to face him in combat." Exdeath said.

Golbez was quick to react to that.

"The events revolving around my brother and I as to where we both stand in this conflict, is of no business of yours. I strongly advise you step off that subject. Though what you say is true – that Cecil and I stand to oppose each other though the same blood flows through us – this I promise…I have no true ties to Cosmos or her warriors. As for Cecil…since you were apparently spying on me, you would know he was not even here at the time. Thus, you have no way to prove if what you believe to be the case is true."

Exdeath stared back at him, apparently trying to think of what to say next. He hated being put at a loss for words, and when the situation involved Golbez…it was even worse to him.

"Why would you inform them on the manikins, even so? We need them to continue fighting in order to achieve our goal, as I would assume you know. If they do not engage in further combat…our plan is ruined." I said.

Golbez turned to look at me.

"I am well aware of such. However, the warriors of Cosmos fight with a resolve not to be denied and will continue to press onward with the undying support of Cosmos. They will not choose to avoid fighting if they feel it necessary. Both sides in this conflict serve a purpose and have intentions...and the warriors for either are driven by it, developing their own ideals as they struggle, both Cosmos and Chaos alike."

Exdeath ignored all of Golbez's somewhat profound responses. All he saw was a traitor; someone whom endangered the intentions of Chaos and tried to cover it up with such petty reasoning.

"Does your courage and yet, foolishness to betray Chaos, stem from your desires to maybe see Cosmos prevail in this conflict, I wonder?"

Golbez shook his head slowly.

"You're so naïve. Before you lash out with such incriminating accusations with but little to no evidence…I advise you to ask yourself whether or not you have the full picture. Things are not always what they seem, as I'm sure you know."

Exdeath grumbled at his words.

"Do you dare to claim that _I _am the traitor?" he said, angrily.

"I said nothing of the sort. However, I would suggest you truly think about what it is you are assuming before taking it any further. I have told you my part of the story. Whether or not you should choose to believe me, I will leave up to you." Golbez replied.

I quickly cut back in.

"You know what will happen should you indeed be found to be at the center of these convictions."

"That will not be a problem." Golbez said.

He quickly departed, leaving Exdeath and I to look at each other in silence.

Exdeath stared where Golbez had been only moments ago as he thought to himself.

"Hmm…"

I decided we couldn't afford to linger any longer, as other issues were at hand.

"What do you say we just leave this little event on the side for now? Should what we said be true in the end after all, Golbez will not live to see the end of this conflict anyway – or even this cycle."

Exdeath looked at me.

"I suppose."

"Come. Let us return to our previous endeavors. I grow tired of dawdling." I stated, as I took my leave.

Exdeath stood alone for a moment as he reflected on our conversation. He was clearly trying to hard to find a way to finally bring Golbez down before Chaos. It was what he'd wanted since he'd first been skeptical of him and yet, Golbez was the_ only_ person he'd had yet to accomplish such with.

"Mark my words…your time runs out." He grumbled, clenching his fist as he, too, departed now.


	23. A Fated Reunion

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Fated Reunion**

I woke up to find myself alone in a new place.

"Huh?"

I looked around and saw I was at the Old Chaos Shrine. I didn't know the place very well, but it was far too hard to mistake it due to its monotonous appearance.

"Tifa? Kain?" I asked, as I stood up and looked around.

"Firion?"

Not one of them replied – no one at all. For the first time since this began, I was actually, truly alone. I even had to wonder – wonder where they were. Wonder why they hadn't come looking for me. Or, had they just not found me yet? I knew what I wanted to believe, but…I couldn't just assume I knew the truth. After all, given what we'd been through…things clearly were not what they seemed.

I grabbed my pendant and stared down at it for a moment as I looked around once again. The very feel of this place was unsettling and it sent shivers down my spine. Until now, I'd never really understood how scary things could be in this world. However, upon being alone…it was like a shield had been torn down around me and worry and fear were really all that was left to feel.

"Squall." I mumbled, as I closed my eyes tight.

I had to think of something to get my mind of such things and for some reason…Squall had come to my mind. In a way, I was grateful as it did indeed fill me with comfort to think of him. I just didn't know why now he had suddenly come into my head. It was too perfect of timing.

I started to move forward when I heard someone speak.

"So…it appears that the solitary lion has found it in him to doubt and deny even you. Would I be wrong to assume not even you matter to him anymore?"

I quickly whipped my head around to see a familiar figure appear before me.

"Ultimecia!" I said, gasping.

She stood there looking at me with one hand on her hip and the other down at her side. It was her usual cocky stance and it was the last thing I wanted to see right now. Of all people, _she_ had to show up. Her? Now?

"Rinoa, the young sorceress. I can't deny that I've been waiting a long time to see you." she said, smirking.

I took a step back as I stared at her in caution and anger. What did she mean? Had she truly brought me here as I'd originally thought? And, if so…why only me? Surely she had reason to have brought Squall as well. Something wasn't right. I could feel it clearly inside me.

"Where is Squall? What did you do to him?" I asked, angrily.

She folded her arms like she was actually offended by me.

"That uncaring, silent beast. I assure you, I have not so much as come across him once. I honestly do not know his whereabouts or if he's even still alive."

Her words caught my attention right away. "Still alive"? What did she mean by that? Could Squall really have been killed in this conflict? No! That couldn't happen. I didn't want to think about that. He had to be alright. He _had_ to.

I mustered up the courage I needed and faced her.

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want?"

I did my best to hide my fear as I spoke. I didn't want her to know exactly how much I was afraid. So much raced through my mind, but I had to keep focused. This was serious. This was Ultimecia, the witch whom could control time. Even I knew better than to let my guard down around her.

"You blame me for the misfortune that has befallen you? Separated from your friends after all this time, I'm the first person you believe to hold responsible?" she said, calmly.

"Aren't you? Who else could have done such a thing with such ease? I know what you can do. I'm not as foolish and blind as you may think I am." I argued.

She folded her arms again and looked at me coldly.

"Perhaps you are not. But…you are still as naïve as I thought. You are not fully aware of the power and potential of the warriors of Chaos now, are you?"

I looked at her as I thought for a moment. She'd actually had some truth to her words. I really hadn't been thinking too much about the other warriors Chaos had recruited. Most of my thoughts had been focused on getting out of this conflict and going home as we'd been promised. If any of Chaos' warriors had come to mind…it had only ever been her. Why would I have needed to think about any others, after all?

I looked back at her silently.

"Are you saying not even you know how I got here? That seems a bit off seeing as to how you knew where to find me."

She scoffed at my words as she spoke again.

"Such are the words formed from naivety as this. You are only living proof that the warriors of Cosmos fight blindly - and to no avail. None of you know the truth that lies before you and you shall never see it so long as you continue as you are. Foolishness could only lead to failure in this conflict."

I tried to understand what she meant. It wasn't that I was stupid. It was just that she had a way of talking around what others said, which led to constantly confusing people - or in this case, me.

"I am not foolish or naïve. Neither I, nor my friends fight blindly or without reason. Our goal is the same – to see each of you fall before Cosmos and bring an end to this conflict. Lasting harmony and peace shall be the reward for the defeat of Chaos, and we shall see that. You cannot stop that dream from coming true. Your time is running out, Ultimecia. Enjoy it while you can."

I glared at her. A part of me couldn't believe the words I had suddenly managed to bring out. It was a bit surprising even to me that I could have said such strong words. It was only proof that this conflict had indeed changed me. No, not just this conflict…the friends I'd traveled with and our dream to see it end had done this to me. They had given me a hope I'd never known before and not even fear could make me lose it.

Ultimecia stared back at me with a straight face. She didn't appear to be affected by what I said at all. It wasn't surprising really, but at the same time…I wish for once I could finally find something to say that would just leave her more than speechless. I actually wanted to scare her…if only I knew how.

"Well…it seems I may have mistaken your resolve after all. I, no – _we_ were certain you'd all have surely lost the will to go on as the truth behind this conflict came to light. However, your courage stands not to hide the obvious disregard you hold toward the consequences of your actions thus far. Such impudence should be punished."

Without hesitation, she fired some arrows at me and I found I had nowhere to go to avoid them. I panicked as I tried to think of what I could do to get out of this position. However, I was awarded no time as the arrows came right at me at full-speed and I had no time to act as I lowered my head in fear and turned away.

"RINOA!" a voice shouted.

It sounded familiar, but I didn't look up to see if my guess was correct. I only heard what sounded like a gun going off before I realized I hadn't been hit by Ultimecia's attack.

I slowly lifted my head and looked in front of me to find Squall glaring at Ultimecia. I _had_ been right. The sound I'd heard was his gunblade going off to deflect the witch's attack from hitting me.

"Seems I'm just in time." he said.

I could only smile at his back upon seeing him standing before me. He had found me. Finally! He had saved me in the nick of time and I couldn't have been any happier to finally see him after all this time. It was hard to believe we'd never crossed paths up until now. A part of me felt it was too good to be true, but I did my best to ignore it. I knew I wasn't imagining this. I couldn't be.

Ultimecia slowly backed off as she and Squall stared each other down with an obvious and intense hatred.

"It appears I must be going. You win for now. But, know this…there is no way to change the fate of this cycle - that which binds you and your comrades. You shall undoubtedly see what true power lies in the hands of Chaos. In due time, you shall see."

With those words, she fled, leaving Squall and I alone in silence staring ahead at where she had been.

"The old witch." Squall grumbled.

He turned to face me as I smiled at him thankfully again. He could clearly tell what I was thinking, so I didn't feel the need to speak.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you…Squall."

I found myself a little shy around him at this particular moment. Or…maybe it was that I was just trying not to look so eager. I knew how uncomfortable he got from affection of any kind. Still…despite my attempts, I couldn't help but at least laugh a little to myself.

"Come on. We need to be heading back to Cosmos. All of the others are doing the same, I'm sure. I don't want to be late."

He turned around without a second thought and started walking.

I watched him walk for a moment as I stood there in silence. It had been just as I'd imagined it - all of it had played out exactly so. In the midst of it all, Squall had broken in and saved me when I thought the end was definite. He had no idea how grateful I was to him.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked, as he turned back toward me.

I laughed lightly to myself again.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"_I hurried to catch up to him and we both headed off toward Sanctuary together. The only problem was that we didn't have our crystals. I was embarrassed that we'd be showing up there without them, but…what was left do? We'd come this far and _still_ had nothing to show for it. Would Cosmos understand if we'd told her why we'd returned empty-handed? Honestly, I was afraid to do so, but we didn't really have a choice. However… I never would have guessed exactly what would unfold when we got there."_


	24. At Whose Whim

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**At Whose Whim…**

"The tools are gathering at Cosmos' throne." I mumbled to myself, as I looked up at the sky.

I felt a sense of certainty and amusement – the feelings that came when it was definite that your goals were within reach. I was overcome by the fact that I could feel everything within my grasp just as I'd desired and intended. There was nothing that could possibly tear it from me now.

"The intolerable little bugs are playing right into my hands. It is only a matter of time now."

I couldn't help but laugh. It had gone better and easier than I'd expected. Even Chaos himself had clearly allowed his own arrogance and pride blind him to my ambitions. If not even the god of discord could manage to see such…surely, there was no reason why Cosmos or any others could either.

"Fools - the lot of them blinded by their own selfish and callous acts. Despite their intentions and efforts by which they attempt to fulfill them, all is destined to doom – warriors, Cosmos and Chaos alike."

The more I said it to myself, the better and more believable it felt. Everyone and everything had played completely at my whim from start to finish and no one had suspected a thing. For all the power and knowledge Emperor Mateus had claimed to wield, he had allowed even himself to fall into accordance with my plan. I pitied him most of everyone for such high amounts of arrogance. All he'd done for himself was be led away by recklessness – born from such foolishness at the mercy of the conflict.

"The end…is coming."

I laughed again. I couldn't help it still. This was the time I'd been waiting for and it was practically here already. What was not to enjoy?

"Shall I be so blunt to ask what is found so amusing?" a voice said.

I turned around to see Gabranth looking at me, dressed in all his armored glory.

"Ah! Judge Gabranth. A pleasure to be in such a presence."

He stared at me for a moment before speaking again, walking toward me as he did.

"Barthandelus. All of our allies are preparing for a battle that they claim is sure to come, and yet…here you are, devoid of any seeming knowledge. Yet alone care as to such events. I am curious as to why that may be."

I was somewhat suspicious of his choice of words, and haste to speak such thoughts. However, I didn't let it get to me just yet. I had to be sure my thoughts were accurate.

"No need for such concern. I assure you…I am but a simple warrior – merely at the whim of Chaos and this conflict. Your thoughts, whatever they may be, are but an illusion spurred on from such time in this battle – and nothing more."

He kept staring at me silently for a moment and, due to not being able to see his face, I couldn't say for sure if he believed my words. Fortunately, I didn't need to wonder for too long.

"Yes. I suppose that may very well be possible. This conflict has had us at war with Cosmos and her warriors for quite some time now. Although, how much time in fact, one cannot be certain. Time is practically nonexistent in this world. For all we know…it's been years."

He looked down at the ground for a moment as it was evident many thoughts raced through his mind.

"Warriors battle it out; cycle after cycle, Cosmos and Chaos the like. We die to be revived anew to experience such tragedy once more. Our efforts are in vain. We are at the whim of the gods – all of us mere pawns in this game of absolute chance."

He didn't say anything for a moment and I figured he may even be crying. It wasn't too hard to believe. Though it was my first time officially meeting Gabranth…he didn't seem like the rest of the warriors of Chaos in mental terms. Something about him was definitely different from the rest of us, yet…Chaos had still found it in him to summon him as a warrior for his forces. It only made this whole situation more enticing really.

He seemed to have a shred of sorrow in his voice. Then again, I immediately brushed it off as the conflict creating illusions in _my_ mind now. Besides, I had no reason to worry in the least. Nothing was going to tear this sensation from me.

I looked at Gabranth for a moment as he stared at the sky, clearly lost in thought. I figured it was the perfect opportunity.

"By the way, Gabranth, I find myself intrigued by something on _my _mind now. I am rather curious as to your whereabouts up until this very time. No one has once mentioned a word of you yet."

Gabranth broke out his stare and looked at me quickly.

"If you are trying to claim that I have business to hide, you are mistaken. My allegiance to Chaos simply calls for a different duty than that of our allies. My actions do not always directly take place on the battlefield lest it's saw fit they should."

I was now quite interested in his words.

"Such intriguing claims, and yet…you have been far more secretive than any one of our allies. I wonder what they'd think were they to find you here now having appeared so suddenly at this particular time." I said.

Gabranth turned his head toward me again and I found myself grinning at such a hasty reaction. I knew I had cornered him just then.

"Your implications speak so much of your amount of foolishness and callousness. A warrior is not one to make meat of his comrades. I should be so compelled to show you the punishment for such actions. But…I suppose I shall resist. My power and ability is bound to Chaos and I shall act accordingly...as a true and noble warrior would. You are not worth the trouble."

He started to walk away when I stopped him momentarily.

"Gabranth."

"What?" he asked angrily, turning his head to the side slightly as he glanced back at me.

"I would not speak of our encounter with our dear allies. News of such occurring, should I get word of it, would be…most unfortunate, if you hear me."

He slowly turned his head forward again.

"I shall not deign to be anything but what my superior commands. Your threats are futile."

He glanced back at me one last time as he spoke again.

"I pity you, Barthandelus."

He quickly walked off to join the others as I stood watching. Our conversation had only further proven my previous thoughts and now I had all the pawns in place for sure. The only thing left to do…was put them in checkmate - a task that, by now, would be anything but difficult from this point forward.

"It is you whom is pitied, dear tools. Make no mistake…my time is coming. Soon…this conflict will be at _my_ whim! This world has not yet tasted destruction.

*****_**Author's Note**_*** **- **Yeah, kind of a lame chapter, I know, but like I mentioned on my profile…I was completely stuck for this one. Fortunately, it's a rare thing for this and the next chapter will be MUCH better! Truthfully, I just find it rather difficult to write for Warriors of Chaos. Sorry.**


	25. Those Destiny Chooses

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Those Destiny Chooses**

"We made it!" I said, as we returned to Sanctuary.

"Yeah. And, it looks like we're late, too." Vaan said, as he saw the other warriors standing around Cosmos.

I tried not to let this minor detail get to me – as usual. Despite the fact that we also didn't have our crystals, there had to be something to look forward to. Cosmos had obviously called us back for a reason, so why should we have been worried really?

"Come on." I said, as we walked toward the others.

Everyone was staring at us as we approached – Lightning most specifically, giving me a serious glare as we stood next to the others.

"Vaan. Snow. Laguna," Cosmos said to us softly.

We each acknowledged her as she said our names. I smiled at her, hoping to ease any tension that might be there as well. One glare was enough. But, then again…it _was_ Lightning.

Cosmos looked out over everyone else as she kept speaking – that hushed, gentle voice of hers that gave huge notice of the seeming innocence she held. It was hard not to listen every time she spoke.

"All young warriors of mine, please…hear me."

We all looked at her in anticipation, some of us more concerned than others. I admit her words had definitely struck us. There was no indication that what followed would be entirely pleasant, but we were all ears anyway. Whatever it was she had to tell us…we knew it couldn't be ignored.

Cosmos took a deep breath as she looked at the ground for a moment – sitting quietly on her throne with her hands together in her lap. She didn't look the least bit happy about whatever was bugging her, but we tried not to let on to the fact that we weren't looking forward to this even more now. Despite any feelings of dread we carried, we had to be strong and confident as we had this whole time. Unfortunately, some of that went away right as she moved to speak again.

"Chaos, he…he is getting stronger. There is no telling how difficult future battles may be at this point."

Right away, I saw some drop their heads in terror and dread. I wanted to do the same really, but negativity wasn't my thing. After all, _someone_ had to be positive when no one else was.

"My powers are great, yes. But…over time, they are becoming no match to the power Chaos wields. I fear…we may be too late."

Cosmos sank in her seat as she dropped her head and all of us, even I, knew exactly what we faced now. How could this have happened? Just because we didn't obtain the crystals, that was it? It's not like we hadn't tried. We just…hadn't found them, or found out_ how_ to find them. All we'd encountered the whole time were a bunch of Chaos cronies.

I looked around Sanctuary at all the other warriors – and all of them were standing in a sulking position. Well…except for a few that actually appeared more to be thinking rather than moping, but…nonetheless, the reality was clear. So clear, in fact, it was actually managing to bring _me_ down, too. I guess it was harder than I thought to stay positive with so much negativity flowing in one area…or something.

"There's gotta' be something we can do, right?" Zidane asked, stepping forward.

I quickly looked up and in his direction. At least someone had found it in themselves to break out of this. That was enough to pop me out of it, too, much to my delight.

"So, we don't have our crystals. So what? Who says that's all we need to defeat Chaos? There's gotta' be another way. Right, Cosmos?" he said.

Everyone looked at each other in question while Zidane stared at Cosmos in hope and anticipation. It was clear he was completely expecting her to back him up.

Cosmos only closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I…cannot say for sure. We do not yet know what Chaos is fully capable of. We cannot take risks under these circumstances without knowing the consequences."

"Then…what do we do?" Onion Knight asked.

Cosmos didn't reply right away as she sighed lightly. It wasn't encouraging in the least to see the one whom had summoned us to this battlefield behaving in such a way. Of all people…you'd think Cosmos would have been the most positive and hopeful. I guess you can't judge everyone so easily after all.

"Without your crystals, I'm afraid there is not much that can be done - at least not so easily. The crystals are the source of the power strong enough to bring Chaos to defeat. You do not have them though. Such a result is nearly impossible to obtain otherwise."

I couldn't take this anymore. I was going to go crazy if I didn't act now.

"Hey, come on, now. What kind of attitude is that? You're our leader in this battle. We're supposed to be able to count on you in a time like this. We're never gonna get anything done like this."

I had hoped my words of encouragement would be enough, but…I guess she saw it as more of an insult or something due to her reaction. Of course…another backfire of my good intentions. Why did this always happen?

"I'm sorry. It's not that I do not believe in all of you. I just know very well what Chaos is capable of. I do not wish to see you all suffer at his hands due to reckless action. I will not allow for such to overcome the warriors of whom I have chosen. You are all…too special to lose."

She shook her head as she spoke that last sentence. But, hey! The good news…it was somewhat positive this time. Knowing exactly how Cosmos felt about us was truly worth hearing. She still believed in us even without our crystals, despite how difficult any efforts towards Chaos' defeat would be without them. That counted for something - to me anyway.

"Well, we cannot just sit here while Chaos becomes more powerful through this battle. You have called up on us to fight for harmony and peace and see to his fall. We cannot and will not allow ourselves to let you down now." Cecil said.

"Yes. No matter the circumstances, there is always a way. We would not have even made it _this _far if there wasn't." Garnet said.

Zidane walked up to her and smiled as he put his arm around her. I couldn't help but smile at that.

"What exactly do you suppose we do? We cannot just travel to the land of discord of our own volition and expect to defeat Chaos. That is almost certain death." Firion stated.

We all thought for a moment. It was true. Chaos was far too powerful for us to defeat alone. Without the crystals, it was practically inevitable that we'd lose. Still…I knew there was something that could be done. I just didn't know what or how…yet.

"Obviously, none of us are stupid enough to act so recklessly. Heck! Just the mere thought alone of doing so is enough to keep me shaking in my boots," Laguna said.

Everyone looked at him as he spoke.

"Still though…if Chaos must be defeated and we don't have our crystals…maybe, there's another way than just sheer ignorance and carelessness."

He looked at Cosmos with a smile.

"Yes. You called on us and we have chosen to fight for you. Though our attempts at the crystals have proved futile, it doesn't mean all hope is lost in this fight." Garnet stated.

She stepped toward Cosmos as she stared ahead.

"Cosmos…you chose to believe in every one of us as we journeyed to find our crystals. We may have failed you in that aspect, but we haven't failed you in giving you what you desire most – a world without discord and war; a world without Chaos. If you could choose to believe in us just as much once more…I'm sure that may just give us the strength we need even without the crystals."

"Yeah. I mean, the battle may be tougher without them, but there are no guarantees either way. I say we go for it! We take this fight to Chaos himself before his power grows too much. If he's feeding off the flow of battle…we'll just have to end this battle – and there's only one way to do that." Locke said, stepping up next to Garnet.

Cosmos looked at the two of them and everyone else. It was obvious she still had her doubts, but I could also tell she wanted to believe in us. It was up to her whether or not she did though. _That_…was what everything relied on.

Unfortunately, Cosmos dropped her head slowly once more.

"I…I want to believe in you all – I _do_ believe in you. But…I just cannot believe in your reasons. What you ask is suicide. You cannot hope to defeat Chaos with your power alone. All it will gain you…is certain death, and none too merciful at that. I do not wish you to suffer such an awful fate. I can't."

She closed her eyes. It sounded like she wanted to cry really, but she refrained. Fear and sorrow were overtaking her for sure, but she didn't want to feel weak in front of us. She couldn't stand for us to see her in more…human moments. I found it odd and funny since everyone has moments like that. But, then I realized that for her…it just wasn't in her to feel so powerless. She had to be strong for us and she knew that. Coming to understand such…I knew why she was hesitant.

Balthier slowly walked up to her as she sat slumped in her seat. I could tell something had come to his mind and I felt a quick rush of hope.

"Cosmos." he said.

She slowly looked up at him as he stared at her silently with a straight face.

"We understand your hesitance and fears. However…we also understand that we cannot allow for Chaos to win this fight. Whether or not you choose to believe in us…we're going. We will take this fight to Chaos himself and show him the true power of Cosmos' warriors – even without our crystals. All the strength we really need…is right in here." he stated.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Only then, did Cosmos herself come to her conclusion.

She sat up in her seat and looked at all of us – a new resolve having formed in her eyes. She had chosen to believe in us and there was no giving in now as she nodded in acceptance.

"Very well. I trust in you all to end this conflict and bring peace to this world. However, please allow for me to give you one last gift before you go. This power I bestow up on you now…will give you enough to withstand any forces of Chaos you may face along the way. I ask that you all gather closely for this."

We all did as she requested and only then did I realize something.

"Hey…where's Zack anyway?"

Everyone looked around, but Zack was nowhere to be seen.

"How did we not notice he wasn't here? Where has he gone?" Yuna asked.

I looked around and my eyes came to Lightning. She was the last person to see him. Maybe she knew.

"Light, you were traveling with Zack. Didn't he arrive here with you?"

She quickly turned away, clearly affected by my words. What had gone wrong? Had something happened to him?

"…Lightning?" I asked.

She only breathed softly to herself as she stared at the ground.

"I…don't know, okay? The last time I saw him…"

She didn't finish her sentence and that only made things worse. A million thoughts raced through my mind and everyone else's. Zack may have been confident, and at times _too_ much so, but he would never have run off on his own – at least not in this world. Something had to have occurred that compelled him to act so...carelessly. The only question was…what?

"What happened?"

Lightning was hesitant to answer, which only served to fuel my rising anger. Something had gone wrong and Lightning had chosen to abandon someone – in of all places, this world. I'd had enough of her uncaring antics.

"YOU LEFT HIM, DIDN'T YOU? THINGS WENT WRONG AND YOU LEFT HIM BECAUSE HE WAS "HOLDING YOU BACK", RIGHT?"

Lightning quickly drew her blade and held it against Snow's neck.

"Talk to me like that again, and this battle will be the _least_ of your worries." she warned.

The moment I saw that, I was terrified. I was sure she would have killed him right there in front of us all if Cosmos hadn't spoken then.

"Lightning! I request that you withdraw your blade now."

Her voice had a hint of demand in it as Lightning stared at her for a moment before reluctantly collapsing her sword back into its holster. She grumbled as she stepped away from Snow angrily.

Cosmos looked at Snow as she spoke.

"Wherever he has gone, he may be in danger so long as he traverses this world alone. With Chaos' power, his warriors, and the manikins at his disposal…Zack will not last long enough on his own. You must find him and bring him here. Only then, will shall I grant this power unto you. I do not wish to leave a single one of you out."

I nodded proudly in response.

"You got it! Leave it to me! I'll be back soon."

I started to walk away when I was stopped quickly.

"Wait! Going alone would only invite trouble. I ask that you take company with you. You'll stand a better chance with allies." Cosmos said.

I looked at her as I put my hand on the back of my head.

"O-kay. Who's with me?"

No one even made an attempt to move for a moment and I began to think that it was either fear taking over…or none of them truly cared. I forced myself to believe it was the first one.

"Well…I suppose if no one else will." Balthier said, as he stepped forward.

I nodded thankfully. Balthier may have seemed somewhat conceited at times, but he proved to be a noble person at least.

"We'll all go." Garnet said, as she, Rinoa, and Locke stepped forward together.

"You'll have more success if there are more people searching." Rinoa said.

I nodded in response.

"Thanks. I appreciate the thought." I said, as I smiled back at them.

We all looked back at Cosmos and the others one last time.

"Okay, we won't be long. See you soon!" I said, as we headed off to find Zack.

Lightning scoffed lightly as we walked away and the others watched us, hoping we wouldn't find trouble as we left. Cosmos, however, watched us closely. There was a deep concern in her eyes, but for whatever reason...she chose to keep to herself about it.

"_As we made our way out of Sanctuary, only the thought of finding Zack and returning to the others once more was on our minds. We didn't know where he was, but we were sure to find him sooner or later. Unfortunately, we had no idea what lay ahead – or, that this would be the last time any of us saw our friends, or Sanctuary, ever again."_

_***Author's Note* **_**- From this point on in the story, the chapters will be jumping from one point of view to the other at times, so they may seem confusing due to the sudden change of character. Still, I figured it'd be an interesting way to tell the rest of the story and it's also kind of necessary as well. I'm also aware this chapter is MUCH longer than the rest, but it's THE most prominent point of the story, so it needed to be explained fully and completely.**


	26. Doubt and Certainty

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Doubt and Certainty**

"_Our search for Zack led us to Crystal World. We'd left Sanctuary roughly an hour ago and we had no sign of where to find him. I knew it was too soon to give up, but at the same time…this world was far too big to traverse it quickly enough. And, with Cosmos' words in my head…how quick would we have to be?"_

As we trekked carefully along our path, I had to stop and think. Something was on my mind and I couldn't let it go.

"Are you sure we did the right thing? Leaving Sanctuary like that?"

Everyone stopped and looked at me in question – Snow, most specifically.

"Why do you ask, Garnet? We have to find Zack, remember?" he said.

He took a step forward as he spoke again.

"And, besides…think of it as a second chance to find our crystals while we're at it!"

I didn't reply. This feeling was nagging me too much. I was so sure we'd made a terrible mistake…but, I couldn't explain why. Not even I knew the reason.

"Don't you think that's a little selfish, Snow?" Rinoa said.

I didn't know what to say. Had I said something offensive?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Why should we be given a second chance and not anyone else? That's not exactly fair. Cosmos intended for us _all_ to find them. What good are they if we only collect a few?" she stated.

I stood there, baffled by her sudden and apparent offense to my statement. I wasn't trying to be selfish. I just wanted to do as Cosmos wished and defeat Chaos – and that required the crystals. What was so wrong about it?

"Look. Our objective right now is to find Zack. Let's forget about the crystals for now until we return to Sanctuary…again." she said.

I could only sigh at my intentions going wrong again.

"Alright, never mind. We'll find 'em when we find 'em. Sorry."

I looked at him for a moment. I hadn't meant to crush his spirit. It had been encouraging really. I just wanted us to stay focused on the new task at hand – finding Zack. Of course, there was still one problem with that.

"So…how do we find him? We've barely been away from Sanctuary long at all and it feels like we're moving in slow motion. We'll never find him at this rate."

I thought on my words. There I went again – getting negative. It was something I found troubling - that I'd actually managed to lose such…optimism during this whole thing. I couldn't believe how much of myself I'd let fall away. I wanted to hit myself and snap out of it, but that wasn't going to happen.

I looked around at the others, but no one seemed to have any ideas. We couldn't possibly be at a standpoint so soon in our search. That was one thing I _wasn't_ willing to accept.

"We could split up into teams. That might make things go faster." I suggested.

Everyone looked at me with doubt and honestly…it made me quite uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Snow. Cosmos told us to stick together to avoid trouble. Wouldn't you think there was a reason for that?" Rinoa said.

I looked at her as I stepped forward.

"Actually, she said to "take company". Even if we split up, we've still got company. So, we're not "disobeying" her or anything."

Rinoa was silent upon hearing my words. It was obvious she was against the idea completely, but at the same time…she'd asked for suggestions.

"Are you really this reckless?" she said quietly.

I could hear a hint of caution and concern in her voice, but I shrugged off her words quickly. It wasn't that I didn't care. I just didn't want to waste time.

"Come on. It's really the only way to speed things up. What other option is there other than staying together, but taking as long as we are. With two separate teams, we'll cover more ground." I stated.

Everyone was quiet. No one seemed willing to go along with my idea, but I could tell they knew it was the only other option. And, honestly…the longer they took to respond, the more anxious I got. I was almost ready to take off my own anyway, despite what Cosmos had said. It wasn't like I was afraid.

"Right then. Let's get to it, eh?" I said.

He looked at me in surprise. I couldn't tell if he was happy or shocked that someone had agreed to his idea.

"Balthier!" he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Hey now. I just can't stand all the doom and gloom around here. I'm getting uneasy…even more so." I replied.

We looked at the others as we started walking off. Only Locke seemed somewhat okay with this idea, but Rinoa and Garnet appeared lost in deep thought. Sure, maybe it was a mistake to disregard Cosmos' words even a little, but still…she'd told us to find Zack, and we were going to do that.

"Alright, later! We'll catch up with ya' after we've found Zack!" Snow said cheerfully.

I'd wanted to stop them, but I couldn't find it in me as I watched them dash out of sight. It only made my feeling grow stronger now that there were three of us. Though their intentions had been good, was it really worth it to have gone against Cosmos' orders?

"Well…shall we be going?" Locke asked.

I looked at him in shock and concern. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Locke, whom had been so careful this whole time, was actually willing to risk everything by going through with such a reckless action.

"Locke!" I said, my voice in a surprised, but hushed manner.

The way Garnet had looked at me, I could tell I'd done something unexpected. I just wasn't sure what.

"Look. I know Cosmos said not to, but we've got to find Zack. And, besides…it's not like we can stop Snow and Balthier. Those two are long gone by now." I stated.

They were hesitant to respond in any way as they stood there in silence for a moment. I tried to think of something to ease their minds, but nothing came to my head.

"Hey, come on. As soon as we're done, we'll meet up with them and be back at Sanctuary before you know it! Everything will be fine."

It took a moment, but finally they both appeared to relax a little – much to my pleasure.

"If you say so…I guess we have no choice but to keep going. We're only losing time staying here." Rinoa said.

I smiled at her words. I knew it hadn't been easy, but she was right. Besides, I really wanted _us_ to be the ones to find Zack. There was no telling how things would turn out if Snow and Balthier were the first.

I looked around for a moment as I realized something.

"Right, so…where do we go first?"

We all thought for a moment, but it was only seconds until Garnet spoke up – her voice a bit shaky in its soft tone.

"…I think I know where to look." she said.

"_We headed off while Snow and Balthier took a different route. That feeling of dread was still strong inside me, but I tried to push it down – mustering up the courage I'd need to face what lay ahead. Still, no matter how much I tried, it wouldn't let go. Something was telling me exactly how wrong all of this was from the point of us having left Sanctuary – yet I'd still chosen to ignore it in the end. By the time we would realize our mistake…it would be too late to turn back."_


	27. Mind Over Matter

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Mind Over Matter**

Ultimecia stood talking to the Emperor once again.

"Sephiroth is missing, Barthandelus is a threat to even Chaos, and now I've heard news that Golbez may be assisting Cosmos' warriors in the search." she said.

The Emperor still held little regard for her words – as even she expected.

"And, yet you still claim to have no doubts about our victory." he said, a clear tone of suspicion in his voice.

Ultimecia folded her arms as she stared at him intently.

"…Yes. I have told you before – I do not doubt our intentions or plans. I am simply aware that our adversaries are becoming more of a threat over time, as you have clearly been arrogant enough to ignore."

"Calm yourself, Ultimecia. The warriors of Cosmos are of little threat, I am sure. Golbez is really of no surprise. I shall deal with him when the time calls for it. As for Sephiroth – he can do whatever he pleases. His actions are of little consequence…much so compared to the actions of specific other, if you recall."

Ultimecia was actually growing rather agitated by the Emperor's explicit decision to make the actions of Barthandelus drive his every thought and move. True – she knew very well what they were up against as far as Barthandelus was concerned, but that didn't mean he deserved to be at the front of their minds. She especially had more important things to regard.

Still, she couldn't help but laugh to herself a bit at the Emperor's state of mind. She had never seen him so determined before – even when the Cosmos warriors came into play.

"For one whom holds such a clear hatred for an ally, you sure have no qualms with him being your driving force. I am rather amused by this factor."

The Emperor glared at her at the mention of a specific word.

"That fool is no "ally" of mine. It would be of your best interest to not declare such again." he grumbled.

She smirked lightly at his clear vulnerability.

"Very well. We do have bigger issues, after all." she replied.

"I agree – wholeheartedly." I said, as I entered.

They turned in my direction upon hearing my voice as I approached calmly.

"Seymour." Mateus said.

"How good to see you again. What, may we ask, have you been up to since our last meeting?" Ultimecia said.

I shrugged off her words. Her clearly intended accusations were of no bother to me. I was well aware of what Barthandelus had done and I was not him. We couldn't even be called acquaintances.

"Still your judgment, sorceress – I only come bringing news of the utmost interest."

They were instantly rather intrigued upon hearing my words as I walked closer to them.

"Oh? And what news is it that you claim to be so important? In case you are unaware, which I know you are not, we have unresolved issues that must be addressed. I would advise you to greatly consider the true importance of your information before putting more matters into our hands." Mateus stated.

I could only smirk at his arrogance. To think one such as Barthandelus was worth coddling of any sort, good or bad, was laughable. He was, after all, but a simple tool of war. I was actually surprised Mateus hadn't brought that up himself already. It was his favorite excuse.

"My sources tell me that six of Cosmos' beloved warriors have set out on their own. Their comrades rest at Sanctuary with the goddess in the meanwhile." I stated.

Their faces dropped almost immediately. The clearly didn't see the opportunity that was so openly presenting itself.

"You dare to bring those fools to my attention at this time? The last thing I need is knowledge of those bugs running around. Who cares about the whereabouts of those pawns?" Mateus yelled, slamming his staff onto the ground.

Ultimecia and I looked at him – the same thought on our minds. It was only more evident now exactly how far he had allowed himself to slip from his concerns over Barthandelus.

"Oh, my…I do believe we indeed have a problem for sure." I said.

"I never thought such a day would come." Ultimecia agreed.

The Emperor looked at us both in anger. Barthandelus had been so deep on his mind that he dared not to even bother with Cosmos or her warriors – the true reason we'd been chosen by Chaos to join this conflict. What was originally his main concern had become nothing more than mere hindrance best forgotten.

Ultimecia and I smirked at each other before looking back at Mateus.

"Did you not hear what you just said, Mateus? You actually care not what our true adversaries are up to. You've let that fool, Barthandelus, plague your mind like a horrible nightmare. While I agree that he must be taken care of, we have gone over such numerous times. Meanwhile, as we stand here and chatter, the warriors of Cosmos have left an open opportunity to strike. Our original plan – would be best initiated at a time such as now, wouldn't you agree?"

Mateus thought on her words for a moment as we stood there looking at him, anticipating a response at any moment. He seemed lost deep in thought – clearly reflecting on the truth behind Ultimecia's speech.

"Well then…will you or will you not be joining us in this undoubtedly splendid endeavor? After all…it was you whom has gone to such lengths to ensure its success." Ultimecia said.

The Emperor looked from her to me as he slowly held his head up straight and spoke.

"Very well. I suppose we must deal with this matter while it's available. We shall worry about that fool at a later date."

Ultimecia and I could only smirk at his decision. It was about time he'd gotten his head back on straight. Honestly, seeing him in such a whiny state had been driving me crazy – and I hadn't even experienced the whole extent of it.

"We shall come, too!" a voice shouted.

Kuja and Kefka appeared before us in a rather gleeful mood.

"You two." I said, a little annoyed that they had to show up.

"I've been wanting some fun with those brats from the very beginning. All's I've had so far is a small encounter – not enough to do some _real_ damage." Kefka said.

I held my head as I felt a strong ache. His voice was so annoying. I couldn't stand to listen to it, and yet…he had to make an appearance now.

"What do you say, Kujie-koo? It's another chance to get back at that spoiled brat of a princess!" Kefka stated.

Kuja seemed somewhat bothered by Kefka, too, as he quickly responded.

"I care not about Garnet. She was merely the bait in my trap for Zidane. I'd have had him, too, but he always slips from my hands at the last second." he grumbled, clenching his fist.

He thought for a moment as he stared at the ground.

"However…perhaps I can take him down a notch a different way, hmm?" he said, as a smirk formed on his face.

He appeared to recollect himself rather quickly and easily as he faced us once again.

"Well, I guess I shall grace you with my presence. After all…this is sure to be a more splendid show than the last one!"

He rose into the air as he cheered at his own thoughts. I still had to wonder what Chaos had been thinking when recruited them, but I figured it was pointless to dwell on any further.

"Right then. Let us take our leave and deal with those pitiful fools. I grow tired of dawdling." Mateus said.

He, Ultimecia, and I quickly departed without a second thought, leaving Kuja and Kefka behind.

"Hey! What's the big idea leaving us behind like that?" Kefka said to himself.

Kuja made a face of irritation as he looked at Kefka.

"You FOOL! Must you always open that mouth of yours? It's a horrible punishment to hear you speak."

He quickly departed after us, leaving only Kefka there alone – thinking…sort of. He could only laugh to himself as he followed.

"This is the perfect opportunity for _my_ plan to come in! Oh-ho! I have waited far too long for this moment."


	28. A Friend In Need

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Friend In Need**

"_We ended up back in the World of Darkness, and it felt no more comfortable than the first time. That eerie feeling it held still strongly lingered…and there was a perfect reason why."_

"Balthier?" Snow asked.

I turned around to see him looking at the ground for a moment, holding his hand on the back of his head.

"I just…wanted to say thanks for taking my side back there. I was a little embarrassed when no one stepped forward really." he admitted.

I didn't know what to think. It was an odd moment, but not one I'd never had before. I couldn't easily tell him I hadn't done it for him. I'd just done it so we could get a move on. It was nothing more than a simple, quick decision.

"Whether you'll admit to it or not, you're a good friend, you know." he said.

I found myself smirking even slightly at his words, but nothing more.

"Now, now, none of that. You'll make me uncomfortable." I said.

He laughed in response as we continued moving forward. We had to find Zack as quickly as we could. And besides…I had no intention of lingering in this place any longer than I had to.

Before we got much further, however, a familiar figure appeared in our path.

"Golbez." Balthier said.

"So…I see this is the path you've chosen." Golbez replied.

We were both a bit taken by his words. What did he mean? The path to Zack? How did he know we were even looking for him?

"What are you on about now?" I asked.

"You are so blissfully unaware of the consequences of your actions to this point." Golbez answered.

I looked from him to Balthier at a loss for words. So many questions that I couldn't even begin to find the answers to. How did they know each other? Clearly, this wasn't a warrior of Cosmos. What was going on here?

"What exactly are you talking about? Enough riddles already." Balthier said, a clear tone of aggravation in his voice.

"Should you go any further, you will find yourself with no way back. Certain doom is the only option you face should you not heed my words." he explained.

I didn't like where he was going at all, but Balthier didn't seem turned off by it one bit. Something told me he'd definitely had this experience before since he was far too calm now. Still…that didn't exactly make it any easier to accept this situation.

Golbez and Balthier just stared each other down as they kept talking.

"The path you seek to find your missing comrade is nothing more than a way to an inescapable fate. I advise that you willingly accept the fate he has led himself to and head back to your haven. There is nothing you can do to prevent the end he faces."

We were both shocked by this news as we stared at him in horror. Zack was about to die and he wanted us to accept that? Right as he'd said that, I no longer hesitated to break in.

"You expect us to just sit back and let our friend die than try and save him? You're out of your mind if you think we'll let that happen. Now, move!" I ordered, ready to knock him down to get through if I had to.

However, Golbez just stood silently in our way, staring at us through that dark helmet of his. It was rather uncomforting to feel that eerier glare he was giving us.

"Are you honestly so naïve as to believe your lives are held any more important to my allies than that of your friend's? They will not hesitate in the least to watch your life drain before them. Yet…you would still go knowing what you face?"

I only nodded at his words with a straight face.

"Yeah. Zack is our friend. If he's in danger, it's our job to help him. I'm not giving up just like that."

Balthier nodded silently as he stood staring at Golbez.

Golbez could only sigh as he looked at us one last time.

"Very well. If that is what you wish…I shall not try to hinder you any longer. I bid you a final farewell, young warriors. For this will certainly be the last time we shall meet." he said, as he quickly departed, opening our path forward once more.

I looked at Balthier for a moment, wanting answers but not knowing where to start.

"What was that all about anyway?"

I was hesitant to answer his question. The last thing I wanted was to bring such a burden down on someone else. Not that it made me comfortable to hold it alone. But, I'd have felt even worse knowing I gave it to someone else as well.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you along the way. Come on."

I started walking as Snow hung back for a moment. He appeared lost in thought, again. Clearly this had all gotten to him – and I knew that too well now. There was no point in dwelling on it. I'd already done that and it had come to understanding nothing any better.

"Snow, come on. The path is open." I said.

Snow only nodded as he followed behind me, both of us continuing on our way to find Zack.

"_We headed toward our next destination with Golbez's words echoing in our heads, though we did our best to not let them get to us. Maybe they were to be heeded; maybe they were just meant to lead us astray. One thing was certain though – we had to find Zack soon. However…we hadn't fully taken what Golbez had meant into consideration. Whether or not we could save our friend…our fate had already been sealed long before."_


	29. Lost and Found

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Lost and Found**

I kept running as fast as I could without a second thought. I was close. I could feel it. I kept on moving as I finally made it to my destination.

"SEPHIROTH!" I shouted, as I burst through the door.

I looked down the long aisle before me and saw nothing but a bed of flowers at the far end. Upon seeing this, I began to feel nostalgic; like I knew this place. I just couldn't recall why. It just felt…familiar.

I walked down the long aisle slowly and carefully, cautious of the fact that he could ambush me any minute if I wasn't careful. I may not have remembered everything about my homeworld…but, I remembered Sephiroth completely.

"Somewhere." I mumbled.

As I approached the bed of flowers, a strange sensation came over me and a rush of memories flowed through my mind – memories of a girl whom I knew, but had long forgotten. I couldn't think of her name, but finally her face was fresh on my mind. She was waiting for me to come home – in this very place in my homeworld. I felt she was in this very spot with me - just in another realm.

I held my face as the memories kept flashing faster and faster. Her voice, her face – everything about her came flooding back to me…all except her name. What _was_ it? It was the one thing I couldn't remember, but it was at the edge of my tongue. I could feel it coming out if I'd just had the memory to do so.

"Why can't I remember?" I asked myself out loud, as I kneeled on the floor beside the flowers.

I held my forehead as I kept fighting to bring her name to the front of my mind. I was so close – I almost had it.

"Aero. Aries…" I said, struggling harder as I could feel the memory coming up.

Suddenly, it all stopped and I could finally recall the name I'd forgotten all this time.

"…Aerith!" I said, quickly pulling my hand away from my head.

I quickly rose to my feet as I shouted at the ceiling.

"AERITH!"

I panted from the struggle with my memories and the joy at finally remembering her name. I smiled at the thought of her as she crossed my mind one more time.

It was then that I remembered the conversation from earlier.

"Sephiroth! Did he…? Is it possible?" I asked, quickly looking around the building.

I didn't see him, but I had the feeling he was close by. I had to see him. I had to talk to him and find out.

"SEPHIROTH! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" I shouted as loud as I could.

I turned around toward the entrance and suddenly heard a sound behind me. I quickly turned back around only to see someone completely different than the one I'd been seeking.

"You. Who are you?" I asked.

The warrior looked at me silently as he stared. I didn't recognize him, but I recognized his outfit – it was like the ones I'd seen back home at Shinra. I just didn't know he would be wearing one. If he was, that had to mean he was from my world. I just couldn't even begin to guess whom he was. He didn't look familiar in the least…but, he felt it. It was like déjà vu, and honestly…I'd had enough of these games of my memories.

Then, I finally noticed the sword. It was exactly like mine – right to the core. Same design, same color – everything. What was going on?

"Do I…know you?" I asked him.

He didn't answer for a moment as he continued to stare at me. He clearly wasn't a manikin, but he had the same cold, piercing stare they had. It was just as chilling – and I didn't like it one bit.

"Cloud." he mumbled.

As soon as I heard that, I felt another sense of familiarity. However, unlike with Aerith…nothing came to mind. I was completely empty as far as his name went. Still…I had this nagging feeling that I knew him, too. It was becoming too much.

"…Cloud." I said, turning my head slightly as I looked at him.

He didn't seem the least bit friendly and since I didn't recognize him…I figured he had to be with Chaos. That was the only way to explain it – and it made sense.

"Look. I don't know who you are, but you're not who I'm looking for. There's someone I have to talk to. I'd advise you to move." I said calmly.

He continued staring me down and took a small step toward me.

I quickly drew my sword as I prepared to fight if I have to.

"I mean it. I don't want to fight you. Get out of my way!" I ordered, now a little angry.

We both stared each other down, ready to fight at any moment. That nagging feeling of familiarity resurfaced, but I brushed it off. There was no way I knew him. I was sure of it now.

"Fade. And, I'll remember." he said.

"What?" I asked.

Without warning, he came at me and all I could do was fight back.

"Hey!" I shouted, as we went at it, our swords clashing together constantly.

He didn't reply as he kept on going – relentlessly and tirelessly striking at me every second. I couldn't get many hits in, but I was still able to block his. I didn't know what this guy's deal was, but he clearly had no intention of stopping – but, why…I didn't know. Had I done something to him at some point? If so, when? How? I couldn't imagine he was attacking me like this for no reason.

Suddenly, he came at me with a heavy blow and I blocked it to the best of my ability, leaning back as he bore down on me hard.

"What is _wrong_ with you? Did I do something?" I asked, looking at him in confusion.

He didn't reply – he just kept glaring at me and grunting as we remained locked in our position.

I was finally able to push him off of me, only to witness him charge up power for some major attack – and seconds later, he rushed at me with a weird glow around him.

"What the-?" I asked, as I saw him approaching quickly.

I didn't have time to think as I could only imagine what might happen next. Just as I thought he would hit me, Sephiroth appeared and stopped him.

"Hold!" he said, blocking Cloud's path.

"Sephiroth!" I said, hurrying toward him.

As I got over to them, Cloud quickly fled without a word.

"Hey! Wait!" I hollered.

So many thoughts raced through my mind – but, in front of all of them was what he had said. "Fade." What did he mean? He would remember…if something happened to me?

Sephiroth walked toward me – that same smug expression as always. It made me so mad to see that face. He was always full of pride and I was more than ready to knock that out of him. I couldn't take this anymore. I wanted to know what was going on – and _now_.

"So…you came." he said.

I glared at him.

"I only came…to find the answers I need. What's going on here? Tell me!" I ordered, angrily.

Sephiroth just smirked.

"You're a fool, Zack. Those summoned to this battlefield are wiped clean of their memories, forgetting everything they ever knew of their homeworld – their friends, their family, everyone closest to them and their world itself. The only way to remember…is to fight – and keep fighting until those memories slowly come to light again. However…it's all in vain."

I looked at him in confusion. He'd started to make sense until that last sentence. This whole puzzle just kept getting more confusing.

"What do you mean? Come on! I'm asking for answers here. Quit talking in circles already." I said.

He slowly turned his back toward me as he spoke again.

"In this world; this conflict – all warriors fight to win for the god whom summoned them…Cosmos or Chaos. They fight – and die. But, this is not the end."

I stared at his back in question. This wasn't making sense. Where was he going with this? I was completely lost, but he obviously knew what he was talking about – so I kept listening.

"In each cycle of this conflict, one side has always fallen. Those warriors, though defeated, have just been revived countless times to serve again in this unending battle like some pathetic pawns in a game of chance. They fight, fall, and live again – destined to do so until at last, the god they have been chosen to serve falls. When that happens, the world shall be thrown into a future desired by the winning god."

He turned back around to face me and saw my expression.

"If Chaos wins…the world, and all others, shall be thrown into a realm of despair like none have ever known."

I could only respond with a look of fear.

"And, if Cosmos wins?"

Sephiroth only laughed to himself as he smirked at me once again.

"I see illusions appeal to you."

I could only glare and grumble at him in anger. I couldn't take this – any of it anymore. I couldn't understand what he was getting at. None of it really made sense to me. What was he saying? That Cosmos and us would lose? And, what about this whole thing about falling and living again? I couldn't even being to fathom that thought. This was too much. All I'd wanted was a simple answer – a way to get home. Instead, I got this whirlwind of information I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

I looked at Sephiroth as he continued to stare at me, smirking to himself still at my obvious state of mind. When I saw his face, I was only filled with rage again. I'd had enough of his mind games. If he wanted to keep playing around in the midst of all of this – fine. But, I _wasn't_.

"SEPHIROTH!" I shouted, as I rushed at him.

I swung my sword hard, but he just dodged it quickly, landing a few feet away from me.

"Oh, my…is the truth too much to bear, I wonder?" he said, a sly grin forming on his face.

I yelled out loud as I pursued him, striking again as hard as I could. He just kept dodging each blow, only making me angrier between each one.

Finally, I'd gotten him against the wall, and I rushed at him without hesitation – yelling in anger all the way.

"ZACK!" a familiar voice shouted.

"Huh?" I asked.

I quickly turned around to find Rinoa, Garnet, and Locke running into the building toward me. However, due to my moment of distraction, I didn't notice Sephiroth taking full advantage. The next thing I knew – I was knocked backward through the air by a hard thrust, followed by Rinoa screaming.

I flew to the floor in front of them and they rushed to my side.

"Zack!" they all cried.

They all checked to make sure I was alright, but all I could think about was Sephiroth.

"Are you okay?" Garnet asked, in a clearly concerned voice.

"Don't go dying on me now, Zack. But, then again, even if you did…it wouldn't matter." Sephiroth said.

I grumbled in anger again. I couldn't see his face, but I had heard him loud and clear. I struggled to get to my feet as I looked at him once more – breathing heavily from the heavy blow he landed on me.

"Can Cosmos truly have chosen such a weak set of warriors?" he said.

Locke, Rinoa, and Garnet glared at him as I lay on the floor.

Sephiroth just shrugged off their glares and smirked proudly.

"What's it matter? You're efforts are all in vain. No matter what you do…you can't change what's already written."

With that, he quickly departed, and I fell on my knee in pain.

"Zack!" Rinoa said, quickly kneeling down to check on me.

"Guys. Why…why did you come here?" I asked, grunting from the pain.

Locke only made a face at my words.

"We came to find you. You didn't show up at Sanctuary, so Cosmos sent us to look for you."

"What?" I asked.

Rinoa and Garnet looked at me with great concern.

"Zack, we need to get you back to Cosmos now. She can help you." Rinoa said.

I shook my head quickly in response.

"No. I'm okay. I promise." I said, grunting again.

"We can't take any chances. Let's head back. We'll meet up with Snow and Balthier along the way." Garnet said.

Everyone nodded as they stood up, Locke doing his best to help me stand.

"I've got it. Don't worry." I said, slowly letting go and balancing myself in front of them.

"Never knew you were so stubborn." Locke said

I could only laugh a little at his words.

"I'm just glad we finally found you. I thought for sure something bad had happened." Garnet said, holding her hand to her heart.

It was clear to me she truly cared about my well-being – or, everyone's for that matter. We barely knew each other, any of us, and yet…it was clear I'd made a whole new set of friends in such a short time in this world. It was nice to have some comfort after everything that had happened.

"I'm alright. Count on it." I said, nodding.

My nod reassured her as she smiled back at me lightly.

"Well then…off we go. I'd hate to be here if that guy comes back." Locke said.

"Yeah. Let's go." I replied, nodding again as I started walking.

"_As we started heading back to Sanctuary, I couldn't let go of what Sephiroth had said – what Cloud had said. Fade. Fall. Live. None of it made sense and yet – it had been spoken like it was all too familiar to them. Their words hung in my mind as we kept walking, but I tried to keep a straight face in front of the others. However, despite how much I'd try…little did I know we were all about to find out everything in the harshest way possible."_

***Author's Note* - **_**So sorry about the long, LONG chapter. I never intended for it to be so, but since I changed this one a little, I guess it was bound to happen this way. **_


	30. Chaos Unnamed

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Chaos Unnamed **

"_As we fought to end the undying conflict in the name of harmony, the forces of Chaos did the same in the name of discord. The restless struggle lead to constant confrontation and those confrontations lead to despair – which only helped to feed Chaos directly. The more we fought, the more powerful he became…and it was all our fault. We'd been responsible for helping Chaos the entire time - but we didn't know it. Now, the shadow of despair loomed over us more than ever before and we'd have to deal with the consequences of our own ambitions – no matter how dire they were set to be."_

Garland approached a restless Chaos as he kneeled before him.

"You called me, my lord?" he asked.

Chaos slowly lifted his head as he looked at Garland.

"Garland…" he muttered.

Garland looked at Chaos in question as he saw him shift in his seat. Clearly, something was on his mind and greatly troubling to him. Due to their direct connection, Chaos' troubles greatly impacted Garland himself as well. Whatever Chaos felt, he felt – and the current situation was uncomforting for even someone such as him.

"I sense…a deep burden on you, my lord." he said.

Chaos only grumbled lightly in response as he rested his head on his arm.

"…Yes…" he mumbled.

Garland was concerned for Chaos – the only being he'd ever truly worried about. No one else matter to him enough to show true pity for them. However, when it came to Chaos…it was all he could think of.

"How may help to serve this troubling time? Tell me what I must do to make it right for you."

Chaos was grateful for such a loyal warrior as Garland, but knew there was nothing that could really be done to help. Besides, he wasn't sure it was something all that bad. He'd just recently begun feeling a strange sensation come over him. Even he couldn't read it as good or bad.

"I'm…not sure of the severity of this one. It is an odd rush swelling up inside me; growing over time. I don't feel weak, but it's uncomforting nonetheless." he explained.

Garland was confused by this news. Was uncomfort good or bad when it came to Chaos? He wanted to understand clearly, but he wasn't getting enough information. He didn't care for puzzles when it came to Chaos' state of mind.

"Uncomforting how?" he asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Chaos took a moment to speak – breathing deep and waiting for a moment to double-check himself.

"This recent sensation that's overcome me – it's like energy of sorts. I've never felt this way before, and that's what concerns me. I don't feel the slightest bit of a threat of any kind, and yet…just that it's a new feeling to me is unsettling. The demise of Cosmos, perhaps?" he said.

Garland thought for a moment as Chaos lowered his head again. They both considered the possibilities and Garland finally found himself laughing.

Chaos looked at him in question.

"Garland. Have you done something to me as of late?" he asked.

Garland ceased his laughter as he looked at Chaos in delight. It was true. It was all finally coming together – the last piece of the puzzle.

"My lord, the demise of Cosmos is not what has overcome you. She is much alive, I assure you. That sensation of which you speak, however – is still nothing to fret over in the least." he stated.

Chaos was enticed by this news as he lifted his head and even leaned forward a bit in anticipation of the rest.

"Enlighten me." he said.

Garland slowly rose to his feet as he stared at Chaos proudly, already claiming victory for their side once again without actually stating such. He knew now it was practically over.

"The "energy" you feel flowing into you is not an energy, but a power – the power of the forces of discord and the Great Will. This conflict has officially begun to take its toll on you directly. The more this battle wages on, the more it feeds you. You are actually becoming stronger through this conflict. If it carries on long enough – you shall surely have the power to claim victory over Cosmos and have the world you and I so wish for. It is nothing uncomforting in the least. There's just so much flowing into you at this time that your mind doesn't quite know how to absorb it just yet."

Chaos looked at Garland as he grumbled lightly leaning back in his seat. It made sense. He'd known for a while that this conflict was fixed to favor him, but now he was finally beginning to understand what that included – and his discomfort was now quickly turning into satisfaction.

"I see. Yes, this is indeed starting to feel more like a gift than a burden. Your words have surely brought my mind to ease over this occurrence."

Garland grinned at Chaos' words. Everything was really starting to turn out as intended and another victory in this unending conflict was surely not far away. He didn't really even see the need to continue fighting in this cycle as time now loomed over Cosmos and her warriors – their inevitable defeat at hand once more.

"You are welcome, my lord. I shall do my best to complete the final phase of this cycle. You shall see victory once again in short time. The warriors of Cosmos are destined to fall – do not forget this."

Chaos nodded lightly as he made what sounded like a light laugh. When all the power of discord found its way to him…there'd be nothing that could stop him. This very thought filled him with insatiable pride as his strength increased every second – especially since he'd now opened himself to it completely, no longer troubled by it's nature.

Garland could only watch in delight as he could see Chaos open himself to willingly accept the power. He laughed at the mere thought of the Cosmos warriors reluctantly assisting him in his struggle for supremacy. However, it was certain not to be much of a struggle for much longer.

"If you will excuse me, my lord, I have one last duty I must attend to. However, before I go…I have one request of which I hope you will accept."

Chaos looked at Garland intently as he listened closely.

"What is it you desire?" he asked.

Garland laughed at the thought of the result of the request he was about to make. It was due time that all things; all problems were treated as was appropriate – _all _of them. And, there was no better time than now.


	31. Breaking Ties

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Breaking Ties**

"I am curious as to why you fight in this conflict. You do not seem driven by the same intentions of our comrades." Cloud of Darkness said.

I could only smirk as I looked at her.

"Have you been sharing these thoughts with Kefka, I wonder?"

She only laughed to herself at my words as she turned her head to the side a bit.

"I only ask…with nothing but sheer curiosity. Every one of our allies has a common goal in the end, yet you – you do not seem to completely share their ambitions. I am nothing but intrigued by your…allure."

It was an interesting moment for sure. Not too long ago, Cloud of Darkness and I were working together – or so she'd thought. Now, however…she seemed more suspicious than anything else. I tried not to get bothered by it, but I was finding it a bit aggravating. Must everyone begin to label _me_ a traitor as well now?

Still, I looked at her calmly and refrained from any tempting defensive actions.

"Halt your suspicion, if you will. I assure you – whatever may drive me in this conflict is of no consequence to you or the others of Chaos. Despite what thoughts towards me may befall your mind, I am still holding to the plan of Mateus and Ultimecia. I was there when it was sealed."

Cloud of Darkness only laughed lightly to herself again. She was probably the most…interesting of anyone else on the battlefield, Cosmos and Chaos alike. She was quiet, usually, and only ever interacted with others when she felt it most necessary. Thus, I could immediately figure out upon her arrival, that she had something specific in mind. The only thing I was even remotely uncomforted by was that no one could ever tell what she was thinking. Maybe it was due to the fact that she alone was not even truly human – literally just an entity of sorts. Not much seemed to affect her, and if it did…she gave no indication as to such.

"To allow the Cosmos warriors to obtain their crystals, thus believing they have an edge over Chaos and a chance to end this conflict." she mocked.

She looked at me intently as she continued, a slight laughter emerging yet again.

"So amusing are the creatures of this world – all of them alike. You think not even once about what you say before you act upon it. Such is what causes your inevitable doom in the end. How pitiful."

I instantly figured out exactly where she was going and I could guarantee anybody, her included, that I would not suffer such a fate. It was obvious everyone had their own plans should such an event befall any of us, so why shouldn't I? I could no longer stand to accept her prescence.

"I do not much care for the logic behind your reasons for being her before me. I would ask that you put aside any further thoughts on your mind and leave me. My intentions are of no importance to you – and you'd do best to keep that in mind. Understand?"

There was a moment of silence between us as we stared each other down intently. Then, she smirked once again – obviously only finding more amusement in my words.

"Seymour. Though the fate of this conflict may be set in the favor of Chaos, I advise you to consider that such does not save even the likes of his warriors from suffering a fate seen befitting for them. If you wish to carry on as you are, then I shall watch in amusement – enjoying the punishment that is set to befall one so…arrogant." she said.

A grin formed on her face as she looked at me closely and I glared back at her. What made her come to such a thought that I deserved any sort of punishment? I had not gone out of the lines of our original plan even to see my own intentions fulfilled. Yet, here I was anyway – being put in the same light and position as Barthandelus…and I did not approve in the least. That fool was conniving and deceitful above anyone else – and all I'd done was desired to exact a vengeance of sorts. How did such actions even begin to compare?

"Your threats are of no concern to me, you should know. Although I commend you for such a well thought out intention towards me – it's not going to work, I'm afraid. After all…one whom has done no wrong to the extent of which you speak, has no reason to fear a "punishment" so extreme. You have done nothing but waste the time of us both. If anyone is to be pitied here…it's you."

I smirked as I saw her face. Obviously, I had succeeded in creating a backfire of her words and intentions. She had nothing left to say as she stood there in silence again.

"…Speechless?" I asked rhetorically.

She didn't reply, only chuckling to herself. It was hard to say whether she was commending my wit, or condoning it. Either way though, there was nothing left to be said – and we both knew it.

"Just consider our feelings mutual from this moment. As for our plans - I shall inform Exdeath that a new…hindrance has occurred. Why should we be subjected to the ill-will that awaits you, after all?"

She quickly departed, leaving a faint echo of a laugh as she did.

I just stared where she had been in anger. Where did such suspicion towards me come from? Whom could have possibly spread such ill news about me and why? Whatever the reason, I was now forced to change my plans altogether and follow a new course of action. Something had to be done about this. And if someone deserved to pay for anything – I was going to make sure it wasn't me.

***Author's Note* -**_** Okay…I know this chapter might have been hard to follow. Like I've said, it's hard to write for Chaos warriors and this chapter fell apart a bit as I kept going, lol. I apologize for the confusion it may have given you, but the end of the story should clear up anything you didn't easily understand now or before.**_


	32. The Burden of Truth

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**The Burden of Truth**

"_We kept moving toward our rendezvous point with Snow and Balthier. As we walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that Zack was hiding something from us. Ever since we'd left the church where we'd found him, he'd been eerily silent. However, we had no idea exactly what kind of burden he carried – or that his dark secret revealed the very fate that loomed over us."_

"SNOW! BALTHIER!" I shouted happily, as I saw them walking toward us.

They waved in response and we all dashed toward each other.

"Zack! You're alright!" Snow cheered.

Zack only nodded proudly in response as he made an amusing cocky pose.

"What'd you expect?"

Snow and the others laughed a little as we all stood there in relief that everyone was alright.

"So, I guess we can head back to Sanctuary now?" I asked.

Everyone looked around at each other for a moment, just to make sure nothing had been forgotten…or something.

"Yeah. Let's hurry and get back! Cosmos and the others are waiting – anxiously, no doubt." Rinoa said.

We started walking on the path back to Sanctuary, but I held back – the others getting a bit further away every few seconds.

I couldn't take it. I was hiding something from them – something that concerned them, me, and every one of our friends – Cosmos herself even. Still, it'd been too hard to tell them. I had only kept it a secret so as not to worry them. However, even I knew I couldn't do that any longer. They deserved to know…and I'd hoped that by doing so, maybe we could change what lay ahead.

"Zack?" a voice asked.

"Huh?"

I looked to find Garnet standing in front of me; that same look of concern she'd had before upon finding me at the church. Seeing that face only added to the guilt I had from hiding this secret from them. Whether she meant to or not, she had a way of filling you with too much of the emotion you currently felt before you couldn't take it anymore and had to let it out. Unfortunately for me…guilt and sorrow were all there was to feel. It only made it worse that those were two emotions I'd practically never known…until now.

"Are you alright? Aren't you coming back to Sanctuary with us?" she asked.

I didn't reply for a moment. I couldn't stand to look at her. I know she didn't meant to do it, but it only made me feel worse whenever I did. I tried so desperately to keep my secret inside. I didn't want to cause anyone to worry or fear anymore. Yet...it was just so hard to resist – all because of her.

"I…um…"

I looked at him as he tripped over his words again and again. He couldn't think of anything to say and it only made me more concerned. What was wrong with him? I wished he'd just tell me so I could try to help.

"Yeah, I'm coming. I'm just…" he stuttered.

At that moment, our friends came back over to us – all with the same look on their faces. It was far too obvious now that Zack was choking on a specific thought and we all wanted to know what and why. For some reason though, he was stubbornly willing to keep it to himself no matter what.

"What is it? Are you okay?" I asked.

Zack looked at me as regret shown through on his face completely.

"Rinoa…" he mumbled.

"Come on, spit it out! Whatever it is, you can tell us." Snow said.

Zack glanced from one of us to the other for a few seconds – clearly wanting to tell us, but still unable to get himself to. We could tell it was killing him inside, but he still refused to let it out.

"Well, if you're not going to say…we might as well keep walking. Cosmos is waiting – and by now, I'm sure everyone thinks something happened." Locke said.

He, Balthier, and Snow all turned back around to start walking again, but Rinoa and Garnet held back. I couldn't take it. Why couldn't I tell them? They needed to know – it wasn't like it wasn't important. It concerned the very well-being of them as well as me. So, why did I find it so necessary keep to myself? It was obvious even to me that they knew I was holding something back. Not even I could hide this feeling behind my usual perkiness.

They waited a moment before finally giving up and started to turn back around as well. Letting out a deep sigh…I finally caved.

"Okay!" I said, loud enough for even Locke and them to hear me.

Everyone turned around and looked at me in question. My tone of voice made it all too evident that they had been right – and I had no other choice but to tell them now.

"Zack?" Rinoa asked.

We all stared at him in anticipation – waiting for him to reveal the obvious secret he'd been harboring and trying to hard to hide. Though, it was a bit of a pathetic attempt.

He took a deep breath as he finally spoke up.

"There's something you guys should know. I can't keep this from you any longer." he said.

We all looked at him closely as he stared back at us for a moment – his eyes full of shame and regret, a feeling rather discomforting to all of us. Still, we listened to what he had to say.

"This conflict that we're caught in…I think it's about to end. And, not in favor of Cosmos." he mumbled.

We all stared at him in horror as he stared at the ground.


	33. Turning Point

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Turning Point**

"_Zack's quick speech before starting his story had us all on edge right away. Just that line alone was enough to fill me with dread and fear – and I wasn't sure I wanted to hear anymore from that point on. However, despite what I was feeling…I had to know."_

Zack saw the way we were looking at him and took a deep breath as his story began.

"Before you guys finally caught up to me…I got into a battle with my enemy, Sephiroth. And, before him…someone named Cloud."

We all looked at him intently. Two fights and he had endured it all? That was impressive in a way. We never would have figured when we'd first found him. Sure, he'd looked exhausted – but, that was only due to the rough struggle we'd found him in…or so we'd thought.

"Two fights in a row? And, you're still standing? ALRIGHT!" Snow cheered.

Everyone looked at him. We could understand his amazement at such a thing given who he was. But, at the same time…this was hardly the moment for it.

"Oh, uh…nevermind." he said, clearing his throat.

We kept listening as Zack continued his story.

"I went there looking for Sephiroth after Lightning and I separated. That was the only intention I'd had the whole time – finding him."

"Why'd you go on your own? Something could have happened." I said, in a worried tone.

"I know, Snow, but I only did it…due to an agreement with Sephiroth." he replied, a hint of shame in his voice.

We were all shocked by his words. An agreement? With a warrior of Chaos? What was he thinking? It wasn't like him at all – we'd figured that out just shortly upon meeting him. We'd never had expected Zack was one to be so…irrational.

"It's not exactly what you think. Sephiroth had promised me he could give me back my memories of my home world. I guess, out of sheer desperation…I agreed. I still don't know what I was thinking." I stated, softly.

I looked around to the see the reactions on everyone's faces. It wasn't that I didn't care…I just found it hard for the time to trust someone whom had turned to an enemy for answers. How did we know something else hadn't happened somewhere in between? Still…I kept such thoughts to myself as even I kept listening.

Zack took a deep breath as he kept talking. Clearly, shame was overwhelming him as he found it hard to look at us directly. Still…he found it in him to keep on going.

"When I finally found him, I could only think about one thing – getting back what I'd lost. I didn't expect half of the things that happened when I got there. One memory suddenly came to mind just by being in that place. The next thing…I found myself in an encounter with Cloud. He was quiet - almost eerily so. He didn't say anything; he just stared at me. The only thing I heard come from him when he finally spoke was one line – something that didn't make any sense, but instantly sent a chill through my body."

Upon hearing that, _I _got a chill. I knew for a fact now that this story was not going to end on a good note.

"What was it?"

His voice was shaky as he replied.

"…_Fade. And, I'll remember_." he said, quoting the strange warrior he'd encountered.

None of us knew what to think as we looked at each other in confusion. What did that mean? It sounded like whoever he was – that he too had lost his memories of his home. Still…that wasn't what got us. We were all stuck on one word…fade.

Zack could tell we, too, struggled to understand the very thing he'd struggled with. I could see it in his eyes – he wanted to just stop telling the story right then and there, but curiosity and concern had gotten the best of us by now and we had to know the rest. Maybe a clue was in there somewhere.

"Shortly after…Sephiroth appeared and Cloud fled. He didn't even let me ask him what he meant before he did. I found myself in a fight with Sephiroth – and if Garnet, Locke, and Rinoa hadn't shown up…it might have been too late for me." he explained.

That very thought struck my mind hard. I didn't even want to think about what could have happened if we hadn't interfered in their fight. I just knew that things would definitely have been much different right now…and that was too much.

Zack was silent for a moment, clearly hoping that he could just stop there and we'd have gotten enough information. However…it wasn't quite so.

"There's more…isn't there?" I asked.

They all looked at me curiously – Zack also looking rather uncomfortable. I knew right then I was right. Still, not wanting to just up and assume…I figured I'd let him talk. But, it wasn't going to be optional.

"Balthier." Rinoa said, a hint of anger in her voice.

I knew she thought I was being blunt and rude, but I wasn't completely convinced. I had the feeling his story had left something out and if he wanted to pull me into the circle of grief…he'd have to tell all.

"Well…?" I asked in anticipation.

Zack looked at me, realizing right away that I didn't completely believe him. He wanted me to as he was so convinced everything was as he'd said – so he knew there was no way around it.

He sighed as he stared at the ground.

"Actually…there is." he mumbled.

I lifted my head a little and made a face while the others looked at him with worry.

"Before Sephiroth and I actually fought…he also told me something – elaborating on what Cloud had said, but giving me everything in complete detail. In a way, really…he managed to keep his side of the bargain." he said.

"What do you mean "everything"?" Garnet asked.

I looked at all of them for a moment – some of their faces filled with concern and fear, while others held a look of confusion, doubt…and even resent. It was all as I'd feared, but I had no option but to keep talking. The most important stuff had yet to be revealed anyway.

"Everything – about the conflict, Cosmos and Chaos…and the rules we, as warriors, are bound to for as long as we serve to fight in it." I explained.

Each time Zack spoke, his story got more puzzling and kind of scary – discomforting. I was completely baffled, much like the others, and I just wanted to be able to understand.

"As long as we serve to fight"? I asked.

For this particular part of the story, Zack actually seemed to lose his feeling of guilt and shame. Now, he really only seemed to be burdened by discomfort. What he revealed next seemed easier for him to let out – though he was still a bit hesitant to do so.

"This battle; this…conflict – it's waged on much longer than we believe it to have been. There's no telling exactly how long that is." he admitted.

Our faces got wide with shock and I heard Garnet gasp a little.

"Throughout each…phase of this war, one side has fallen. I was strongly lead to believe it's been Cosmos – or, at least her warriors. We would fight, all of us, until we lost the strength to go on and succumbed to defeat. After the whole of one party had fallen…we would be revived to serve again in the next phase. I don't know if Cosmos herself has ever fallen victim to such, but I'm sure that given the knowledge she seems to hold – that she's at least familiar with this." I explained.

I stopped for a moment as I looked at them once again. No one's face gave any indication that they understood a single thing I had said. They were just blank; dumbfounded by such unexpected news. I couldn't blame them really. If what I was saying really _was_ true…the whole idea of revival was too much to fathom.

"You're saying we've all been…resurrected or something? That we've been in this conflict longer than just this time?" I asked.

He looked at me and nodded lightly.

"Yes. That's actually exactly what I mean, Garnet." he said.

I couldn't get a grip on this. I knew his story had to be discomforting, but this was completely unlike anything I'd anticipated. I had expected something that might hint at what we truly faced – but, it wasn't quite the truth I'd been seeking. Never would I have expected such a tale. As much as I wanted to believe it after everything that had occurred, due to how much sense it actually would make…I couldn't. Not yet.

"I don't get it though. If that's true…why don't we remember such?" Locke asked.

Zack took a deep breath.

"Because apparently, each time we've been revived…the losing side has lost all their memories as a sort of "consequence" for perishing. That's why we don't remember our home worlds – or anyone in them."

This hit us all hard, but there were so many questions that we just couldn't keep quiet. We had to know – and Zack seemed to be able to answer.

"That can't be completely true. I remember Squall perfectly…and Ultimecia." I said.

"Yeah, and I remember Lightning." Snow agreed.

He put his hand on the back of his head for a moment.

"Then again…it is _Lightning_." he mumbled.

We all looked at Zack in question; in anticipation of more answers. His story had held all the answers we'd been seeking since this supposedly began, and now that we had a chance to get them…we weren't going to let it slip away.

Zack looked at us as it was evident to him that we were counting on him to tell us what we wanted to know. Thankfully…he was willing enough to do just that.

"Well, I'm not sure…but, our memories may be affected by this battle itself. The more we fight, the more we remember. That's really the only way I can think that it might make sense. You and Squall are from the same world, right? Tifa and I are, Snow and Lightning, and so on. So, that's probably why we remember those people. We were familiar with them before being summoned here."

I thought on his explanation for a moment.

"I think I get it. As long as we have someone from our world in the battle with us, we remember them clear as day. It's only those we left behind that we forget." I said.

Zack nodded.

I stared at the ground.

"That explains Serah." I mumbled.

Everyone was quiet now. Even I now found it in me to see a bit of truth in what Zack said. He was right. I remembered Vaan, but pretty much forgot everyone else. I still couldn't even remember the name of my world. Still, there was one thing I had to be clear on…just to ease my mind.

"So, if what you're saying is true…we all really will die by the time this conflict is over. There's no mistake about that." I said.

Zack nodded lightly, clearly unwilling to prove such, but finding it necessary just the same. Now…everything Golbez had ever told us finally fit together. The puzzle we'd all been trying to piece since this began had finally been finished and we could see the picture it painted. That being said…we now saw the fate that awaited us. It wasn't exactly the most comforting thought…but, at least it held some hope in the aftermath.

Zack dropped his head.

"I didn't want to tell you all this, but I had to. You had a right to know and I couldn't keep it from you in the end. But, now you know what we face. Our questions are finally answered – whether or not those answers are what we wanted."

Everyone stood in absolute silence – all of us thinking hard to ourselves. The truth had finally come out and we'd been given the answers we'd been searching for all along. He was right – they weren't exactly comforting and some of it was even frightening, but…they'd at least come to us in the end and we could put our minds at ease as far as that was concerned.

Of course, with the answers now engraved in our minds…we found ourselves face to face with the grim reality of our situation.

"So, even if we do all we can to obtain our crystals and defeat Chaos...we'll lose in the end anyway. It's all in vain." I said, lowering my head in distress.

"No! That's just it. It's _not_ in vain." Snow replied.

They all looked at me in question.

"Don't you get it? Even if we lose this battle, we'll be revived and get another chance. We get to have another go at defeating Chaos. So, if we were to fall, which it's sounding like we will…our efforts this time around will serve _some_ merit next time. We can still defeat Chaos – even if it's not in this phase."

They all thought about what I'd said. It made sense – you had to admit it. After everything Zack had told us, what else could be believed? It filled me with comfort to know that we did still stand a chance. The only thing that troubled me now…was why Cosmos had kept it all a secret from us.

Rinoa took a deep breath as she looked at Zack again.

"I just need to know one thing."

Zack looked at me closely as I spoke – his eyes holding nothing but the appearance of utmost compassion. It made it easier for me to share my thoughts.

"Do you still believe, after everything you've learned and told us…that we truly stand a chance in this conflict? That we can defeat Chaos without a doubt and win victory for Cosmos – a world full of peace and harmony as we all desire?"

Zack didn't reply for a moment and I felt a little uncomfortable. However, much to my delight…he gave me the answer I'd hoped for – and it was in nothing but absolute honesty.

"…I do. It may not be this time around, but we can do it. Cosmos may or may not know all of this, but even if she does, she still believes in us. That alone…is enough for me." he said.

I smiled at his words and a warm sensation swept over me. That was enough for me as well. No matter what fate lay ahead for us, I was ready – I was sure of it. The truth had finally been revealed and I didn't need any more than that. I could finally regain the kind of person I'd slowly lost sight of now – and that person was always willing to do whatever it took to set things right.

Zack and Rinoa looked at us all – a look of anticipation on their faces. They were waiting for us to speak up; to join in and do whatever it took to claim victory for Cosmos…no matter what it may result in. They were no longer afraid, and that was evident. Still, I was cautious, but the others were ready.

"Let's do it. Let's end this now for Cosmos – and for our friends. We can end this thing and save everyone from the cycle of suffering and despair." Locke stated.

Snow nodded in agreement and Balthier smirked – now finding it in him to share the same resolve that had overcome everyone else. All that was left now…was me.

They all looked at me eagerly – waiting for me to speak up and say I'd join them. But…I couldn't do it. Despite everything that had been said, I couldn't get myself to agree to it. It was too scary to imagine; too frightening. Were they really, truly ready to suffer any fate that claimed us…no matter what it may be? I wasn't_ that_ strong. I couldn't find it in me to do anything that extreme.

"Mmm…" I mumbled, pulling back a little.

I glanced from each one of them – all of their faces saying it was okay and trying to comfort me. I was scared. I didn't know what to think. I didn't want to imagine that after everything we'd endured – we'd just simply throw it away. Despite what they claimed…that's what it felt like we were doing. It was too much. It didn't feel right. How could they be so sure this was the right thing to do? How could they be sure it would work?

Then...through all of my despair and discomfort – someone said my name and pulled me into a state of mind where nothing but courage and hope lay.

"…Garnet."

I looked up and saw all my friends smiling at me and whispering words of encouragement. They were trying to set me on the right path and now I could see that. We weren't throwing anything away…we were saving it – saving a chance for a future of hope; a future where harmony knows no bounds and chaos and despair didn't exist. It was all we'd ever wanted and we would see it together – my friends and I, each of us to the last.

I nodded – feeling no sorrow, despair, or regret. I wasn't running anymore and neither were they. With the truth of this conflict now in our grasp, there was nothing to fear. I knew that from that moment on.

"…Okay."

Everyone smiled at me and each other.

"Alright, let's go. Let's take the fight to Chaos' throne." Balthier said.

We all nodded in agreement as Snow was the first to take action.

"Let's do this." he said, turning around down the path opposite of Sanctuary.

"_We started walking; down the path that lead to Chaos – to our certain and inevitable fate. But, we weren't afraid. No matter what lay ahead for us, we now understood everything and fear had all but dissipated at that moment. We may never see our friends again, but it wasn't disheartening. Even if our fate was to fall…our efforts would be enough for them the next time around. And, knowing that our actions would serve our allies later…was enough for us to believe in the choice we had made."_

***Author's Note* - **_**Freakin' long chapter, I know. I actually didn't intend for this, but if you didn't notice – this chapter and the one before it are practically one chapter. I just had to split them or it'd have been far too long. **_


	34. The Price

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**The Price**

I walked alone through the battlefields of this distant realm when someone appeared before me.

"Barthandelus."

I looked ahead to see Sephiroth staring back at me with nothing but an obvious resent.

"Ah! Sephiroth. How…interesting it is to see you here." I said.

He glared back at me – his eyes filled with an undying rage.

"I can't imagine why. Were you expecting me dead, I wonder?" he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

It was far too obvious even before he'd said that why he had shown up. Still, however…I had played dumb just to merely amuse myself. I hadn't completely lied: it _had_ been rather intriguing to me that he'd managed to avoid an almost certain demise at the hands of his own colleagues. Yet…here he stood. I could only laugh at it all.

"So, you know."

"You truly take me for a fool, don't you?" he replied, angrily.

I looked at him with a smirk.

"No, not at all. I was merely swept into curiosity over what would happen if allies were to cross swords in this conflict. We couldn't easily have gotten the warriors of Cosmos to oblige, so naturally…the only way was to choose our own."

His face held clear doubt as to my words and only served to amuse me more. I could see the rage in his eyes and it was all too obvious what he'd come here for. Still…I remained calm and carefree.

"You needed a pawn." he grumbled.

"It was all entirely harmless, I assure you. This conflict feeds Chaos and thus makes him stronger the longer it carries on. You should be proud of such. As one whom claims to serve a supposed absolute devotion to Chaos, I would think it pleased you to know you've helped him. Who says fighting the forces of Cosmos is the only way to feed discord?"

He shifted his head to the side as he stared at me in silence for a moment. He appeared to be thinking on my words, but the sense that he wasn't buying it was far too strong for even me to deny.

"You were looking for a test subject – and unfortunately…you chose me." he said, slowly raising his sword.

It was evident now that I had been right earlier. He'd come for revenge and nothing more…as expected from someone such as him.

I laughed to myself at the sight before me.

"Tell me. How exactly did you figure it out? I am curious to know."

Sephiroth held his sword out in my direction.

"...You're far more arrogant than you're given credit for, Barthandelus."

"It is time you pay for your treachery. Too long has it gone unrewarded." a voice said.

I turned around to find Exdeath behind me. At that moment…it was all clear to me. I laughed under my breath as a smirk formed at the corner of my mouth.

"Oh, such a pity. And, here I was hoping you could see the good intentions I'd had. I already told you…I was merely feeding Chaos. With my help, he is growing stronger every minute – even as we speak." I claimed.

Sephiroth and Exdeath glanced at each other.

"You're full of nothing, Barthandelus; empty words and thoughts. I'm no fool. Your arrogance has blinded you to the wit of your own allies. I don't take lightly to traitors. You should consider such facts before you choose a pawn in your meaningless experiments." Sephiroth said.

"Your time is up. Give your last words before we draw the final breath from your body. I cannot wait to hear that." Exdeath said, laughing to himself.

I looked at both of them. Obviously, they had no intention of leaving or letting me leave – alive anyway. I couldn't say I didn't see this coming, but even if not...they, too, had made a mistake in this confrontation. I wasn't planning on falling so easily. I'd had it all worked out and nothing was going to ruin it.

"So…I see this is how it ends. Pity." I said.

Sephiroth smirked lightly.

"You really think you're wise, don't you? I wonder what you'll think of yourself after we've finished with you. I find myself overcome with curiosity. I now understand how you felt."

I laughed under my breath as I stood centered between them. Two against one – my odds didn't look good really. Still…they were only showing what utter fools they really were. To think I'd go down like that was the same arrogance Sephiroth had only moments ago accused me of. What wasn't to laugh about?

"The pawns of Chaos; of war and discord. You truly believe the lives of the likes of you are worth anything to the gods? To accuse me of such arrogance when you're guilty of the same - it's laughable. Heed my words – in the end…only suffering shall be your prize." I explained.

They looked at me calmly - unalarmed by my words. They either didn't care, or didn't believe me. Either way…there was nothing left to say.

"Your "warning" is worth little regard. Your words hold no merit to either us…or our allies. Whatever end this conflict holds, I guarantee favor is with Chaos. For you, however...the end of this war is of no concern." Exdeath said.

They both prepared their weapons – ready to strike me down from both sides.

"Consider yourself lucky. You get an early ticket out." Sephiroth said, grinning.

I saw there was no way around it and figured I'd amuse myself and them by indulging in their game. If they wanted a fight…that's what they'd get. I was not afraid of mere tools.

"Very well. Come at me, you fools…and witness the consequence of your "audacious" defiance!"


	35. Road to Discord

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Road to Discord**

"_We kept walking down the long road before us; the road that lead to the god of discord himself - Chaos. Deep down, we knew it wouldn't be easy, but we also knew we had to try. Even if it meant a physical sacrifice on our part…it was worth it if it would serve our friends for the better later. That…was the one motive that kept us going; kept us moving toward our certain fate."_

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" I asked.

We'd walked a good distance by now and it felt like we were getting nowhere. Sure, we were obviously headed in the right direction since Sanctuary was clearly behind us. But, still...there was no sign of the direction Chaos awaited – the Land of Discord.

"We have to be moving in the right direction. It's a single path and Sanctuary is way back there." Zack stated.

Everyone looked ahead for a moment as we stared at the path that lay before us. We still had a ways to go, but there was no mistaking what waited at the end of it.

"Let's just keep moving. I know we've walked a long time, but if we dawdle here…we'll never make it. Then this all _will_ have been in vain. We've all made it very clear that none of us want that." Locke said.

We all nodded in agreement with his words.

Maybe it was fear once again grasping Garnet. Maybe it was just a bit of hesitation of whether or not we'd made the right choice. Either way, we'd already come this far and had no intentions of turning back. At least…I know_ I_ didn't.

"Come on. We've still a got a little further to go before we're there." I said.

I started to move when a voice held me back.

"Wait!"

I turned around quickly to see Rinoa staring ahead and grasping her pendant tight.

"What is it?" I asked.

I looked at Locke as he and the others looked at me in question. Before I could say anything, everything was answered as we heard a malicious laugh echo through the air before an unfamiliar figure appeared before us – blocking our path.

"Well, well, what do we have here? The precious warriors of Cosmos wandering recklessly through this world of uncertainty."

"Who are you?" Snow asked, stepping forward with his fist at his side.

It was all too obvious he was a warrior of Chaos – there was no doubt about that. The only thing that really got to us…was who he was exactly. We'd never seen him once this entire time. Honestly…I found that a little strange.

"I am Garland. I serve Chaos directly, and come bearing warning to you now. I would advise you turn back, as I'm sure you've been told many times before - for if you truly seek to even _try_ to defeat Chaos…you're destined to fall before you ever see his face. No mere pawns in this conflict stand such a chance."

"Oh, yeah? Who says?" I asked.

Garland only laughed in response.

"It is rather amusing that you think yourself able to defeat one wielding such power beyond the likes of which you could imagine. Even the power of Cosmos is nothing compared to the power that sleeps within Chaos. This conflict has already been settled – whether you accept it or not." he said.

"We don't accept it! And, you're wrong! We've made the decision to stop Chaos and that's what we're going to do." I replied.

I looked at Snow closely as he went back and forth with Garland. His face – he seemed so sure and ready. He wasn't afraid even though he knew what we were risking by doing this. Garland's warnings appeared to have no effect on him…and I felt a sense of comfort sweep over me again.

"You're full of empty threats and we're not going to let ourselves be dissuaded by a warrior of Chaos. Get out of our way!" Locke said.

"These are not empty threats, I assure you. All that awaits you ahead is your inevitable demise. If you so cherish your lives and those of your comrades…you'd do best to turn back now." Garland stated.

We all looked at him in shock at his words. Rinoa was the first to ask the question on our minds.

"What do you mean by that?"

Garland laughed again. Apparently, he was amused by a lot of things. That…or he had a problem. Still…we listened as he explained himself.

"While you foolish warriors head on your way to certain doom – Chaos himself continues to gain power over time. He has nearly obtained enough to easily wipe out Cosmos – thus, those aligned with her. Were he to perform such a task…it would surely mean the end for each and everyone of you. There would be no hope of any "second chances" you lead yourselves to believe of."

We all gasped at his words – or rather, Locke and I did. Snow and Balthier seemed somewhat calm, though Snow had a hint of anger on his face. Rinoa, however, appeared lost in thought now. Something was on her mind, and it was no longer our current conversation.

"So…you'd dare to continue forward knowing the exact consequences you let loom over your friends?" Garland asked.

I looked around at everybody and saw Garnet shake her head a bit and take a small step back out of the corner of my eye. I could understand why she was scared, but I still had no intentions of giving up. Not now. Not after all this time.

"Say what you will…but, you're not going to make us give up everything we've worked toward. We've come this far and we intend to see our decision through. Nothing you say can change our minds now." I stated, glaring at him.

"Balthier." Garnet said softly.

Garland looked at each of us – studying our faces and seeing exactly how serious we were. The expressions on our faces and the intensity in our eyes couldn't be denied even by him.

He laughed under his breath, muttering something to himself as he glanced at the ground.

"Foolish tools of war. Naivety and pride have clearly blinded you."

He lifted his head and looked at us one last time.

"Very well. If you would prefer to be so reckless and seek the consequences behind your foolish actions – then I shall but oblige. Farewell, warriors of Cosmos. I so greatly look forward to seeing how this ends."

He laughed loudly as he fled – his voice echoing through the air once again as the path before us was opened once more.

We all stared ahead at the road in front of us as we could clearly sense the power of Chaos. We were close for sure. We were certain of it now.

Snow looked at all of us as he stepped forward.

"Forget him. Remember what we're doing this for. Let's go."

We all nodded in response and continued onward once again. I, however, held back as I turned my head back toward the direction of Sanctuary. A part of me still couldn't believe what we were doing. But, despite such, and in spite of Garland's threats…I, too, knew it was the right thing to do. No matter how I felt…I couldn't deny such a sure and clear feeling.

"Garnet?" a voice asked.

"Huh?"

I turned around to see Locke looking at me.

"You're coming, aren't you? You're not actually going to listen to Garland…" he said.

I took a deep breath as I looked up at him and smiled lightly.

"…No. I'm not." I said, calmly.

He smiled back at me lightly and we hurried to catch up to the others.

"_Our next and final destination was the Land of Discord – Chaos' own throne. We didn't completely know what to expect, but we _did_ know that we wouldn't let anything stop us. Threats and warnings aside, we knew very well what was at risk, but we were willing to put it all on the line. Our own actions and desire to follow our hearts, and everything we knew to be right, had brought us this far…and we would see things through to even the most bitter end."_


	36. A Fitting End

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**A Fitting End**

I gasped for air as I arrived at a new location. I had just barely escaped my fight with Exdeath and Sephiroth. I hated to admit it, but I had indeed underestimated both of them.

I clung to the wall as I staggered forward, not having realized exactly where I'd fled to just yet.

"Fools. How…how dare they…" I muttered weakly.

Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me – one all too familiar.

"Fleeing will get you nowhere."

I quickly turned around to find Exdeath looking at me.

"Exdeath!" I said, a horrified expression on my face.

He laughed as he stared at me.

"Barthandelus. It is time you pay the price for your infidelity. Did you really think it would go unrewarded?"

I backed up out of fear of what would happen. I surely couldn't fight anymore in this condition. I'd barely escaped the first time.

"Too long has your treachery gone without consequence. Now, at last, the proper punishment shall be handed down. And, I will be the one whom sees to it." Exdeath said.

I stared in horror as he created a blue ball of light and fired it at me full speed.

I cried in pain as it hit me hard and I flew backward, slamming into the ground on my back as I looked over at Exdeath; him walking toward me with in a menacing manner as he laughed again.

"I want to make sure you suffer before I deal the finishing blow." he said.

I struggled to get to my feet as Mateus appeared.

"Well, well…Barthandelus. I do say this is a most intriguing surprise."

I looked at him as I finally managed to stand, holding my arm and leaning forward as I stumbled a bit.

"You look pathetic. Rough times?" he mocked, smirking a little as he spoke.

It was all too clear to me right away that he had been behind this whole thing. He had set Sephiroth and Exdeath to ambush me and was now here to witness what they expected to be my end. Though I was weak, I was not willing to go down just yet.

I glared at Mateus upon putting it all together.

"You. What is the meaning of this? You would turn on an ally?" I said, angrily.

His face dropped at my words.

"I would hardly call you such. Playing us all from the beginning; stringing us along to weave and fit your needs. If anyone can be accused of such treachery, it is _you_, Barthandelus. While I am rather impressed by how well you played it out, know that I am _no one's_ tool."

I looked at him angrily, still panting from the hard fight and Exdeath's blow.

Mateus looked at me intently.

"You have no one but yourself to blame for what is about to befall you. If you think what Sephiroth and Exdeath has done was harsh…you are none too wise as to what exactly you are dealing with."

I glanced from him, to Exdeath, and back. What did they mean? They were finally getting what they'd apparently wanted for so long. I actually shuttered to think how it could get even worse.

"What are you…saying?" I asked, wincing in pain.

At that moment, another person appeared behind me.

"All traitors deserve nothing more than the most fitting punishment. For scheming against the god of discord, your treacherous acts assume the highest level of treason, thus…the highest form of consequence to be offered."

I turned around to see Garland and now finally noticed I had fled to Chaos' own throne – the Edge of Madness.

Garland laughed as he spoke again, sounding more than confident in his words.

"And, there is only one amongst all whom can deliver such punishment."

My stomach dropped and my eyes got wide as I knew right then whom he meant. Merely seconds later, Chaos himself appeared before us all, sitting on his throne as he glared directly at me.

"…Barthandelus." he grumbled, his eyes glowing as he spoke.

It was a sight more terrifying than anything in the world - so much, in fact, that even I and the other warriors of Chaos were too nervous to move. None of us had ever seen his face so…evil before.

"C-Chaos!" I said, in a panicked tone.

I knew something horrible was about to happen, but I wasn't completely sure what. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. I just kept staring at him in petrification.

He grumbled something under his breath as he looked at Garland.

"You have requested, and I…shall grant."

Garland nodded lightly in response.

"My lord."

Chaos looked back at me with that same terrifying expression as he leaned forward in his seat.

"A warrior of the sheerest audacity…my disdain knows no mercy."

He held his hand out toward me and I knew right away what was next as my eyes got wide with horror.

Everyone watched as I screamed in agony – a portal opening beneath my feet as ring of fire rose up around me.

"Know the deepest despair." Chaos said.

"NO!" I cried.

At that moment…there was nothing left. I had disappeared; banished to the gap between realms…to stay.

Garland and the others stared where I had been in silence.

"Good riddance to the fool." Mateus said, as he quickly departed.

"A fitting end for such a worthless pawn." Exdeath added, as he, too, fled the scene.

Garland looked at Chaos for a moment – both of them staring at one another as Garland nodded.

"There is yet still…one thing unresolved."

He quickly departed as well as Chaos sat still and silent in his seat - appearing lost in thought.

"...Cosmos…" he mumbled, dropping his head a little.


	37. The Last Stand

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**The Last Stand**

"_Maybe it was destiny. Maybe it was through our own strength of will. Whatever the reason, after all our hardship; all the fighting, doubt, and truths come to light, we'd finally made it: to the edge of the Land of Discord – Chaos' throne. We could all feel the horrible power flowing from where he waited, but we didn't turn back still. The faintest glimmer of hope remaining inside of each of us gave us the courage we needed to take those final steps toward the god of discord. This was it. The final battle…was just ahead. Though knowing very well what we faced, we didn't let that hinder us. No matter what happened, as long as Cosmos could claim victory in the end…anything was worth it."_

We all stared ahead in the direction of Chaos' throne. It was obvious to each of us that there was slight hesitation, but not enough to make us turn back. Chaos had to be defeated – and we were prepared to do whatever it took to make sure he was.

"You guys ready?" Snow asked, looking at all of us.

We all nodded in response as we kept staring ahead.

"…Yeah. Let's go after Chaos." I said.

I tried to hide the remaining fear I held. It wasn't that I didn't think we could do it, but…this was Chaos himself we were talking about. I had a right to be a little nervous, at least.

Locke looked at me and knew right away something was wrong.

"Garnet? Are you alright?"

I took a deep breath as I tried to muster up my courage again. I couldn't stay like this. I was afraid that if I did, I'd bring everyone down with the burden of doubt and despair…and I couldn't stand to do that. Not after all we'd been through to get here.

"Yes. I'm fine. I promise."

I looked at her as she stared at the ground in silence for a moment and held her amulet.

"…I'm ready." she said, looking ahead again with determination.

I was worried about her, but I didn't want to slow everyone else down with such – so, I let it go. By now…I knew Garnet could take care of herself.

I heard Snow take a breath next and looked over at him as he lifted his head.

"…Let's do this." he said.

We started walking forward when suddenly a group of Chaos' warriors appeared before us – Ultimecia, Kuja, Kefka, Sephiroth, Garland, and one we didn't recognize.

"Well, well, warriors of Cosmos. I hate to disappoint you, but your travels end here." Garland said.

Snow stepped out in front of us.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he grumbled, balling his fist.

Ultimecia smirked as she spoke.

"We simply came to welcome you…to your pitiful demise. I'm sure you realize the consequences of your actions to this point by now."

She laughed to herself before speaking again.

"The fate that awaits you is inevitable. Foolishly following your own recklessness despite the many warnings you've been given – what makes you believe so strongly that you can defeat Chaos without your precious crystals?"

I stepped forward in defiance of her words.

"Nothing is inevitable. And, even if our fate _is_ to fall…we will do all in our power to make sure our struggles in these cycles will not be wasted."

Ultimecia laughed under her breath as she and I stared at each other intently.

"Rinoa. I'm curious as to when one such as you gained so much strength."

I didn't let her get to me. I knew exactly what she was doing and it wasn't going to work. This time…_I'd _have the last laugh.

"I'll never waver, Ultimecia. None of us will – our allies _or_ Cosmos."

All of them could only laugh in response. If anything…it only served to anger me, and the others, that they could find sacrifice so amusing. It was one thing to mock us alone, but to mock the very thing we, and Cosmos herself, stood for; I'd had enough.

"If you pests truly plan to get to Chaos, you'll have to get past us first. After all, like you, we serve the god we've been summoned to fight for. We can't have even the threat of Chaos being defeated to go unrewarded. If he were to lose, no matter how unlikely that is…" Kefka explained.

Locke was quick to respond. Clearly, he'd had enough as well.

"So be it. This'll be easy."

I caught Garnet give a glance in my direction out of the corner of my eye.

"Have you truly…learned nothing from your experience?" Sephiroth said, smugly.

"Just back off and shut up! If there's one thing we've learned after all this time…it's that Chaos must be defeated. As for those whom stand to prevent that…" Zack replied, raising his sword.

They all laughed again; always with the laughing. I didn't get it. I wanted so much to wipe those smug expressions off their faces, and it was evident the others did, too. There was no better time than now to do just that.

"Oh, this is simply amusing…and grand! Finally, the big finale! And, what gracious props you are, my dears. You've come just in time!"

Kuja did his usual heinous laughter that echoed throughout the area. A laugh I knew all too well and had heard all too much. Of all of them, his laugh was by far the most annoying!

"Unfortunately, it looks like our gracious host will miss out on our "big finale". We've got a date to make…and _you're_ not invited." I said, preparing to fight.

I was ready more than ever this time. I was going to get back at them – for everything they've done up to this point…and to show Chaos exactly what we could do, and the power of Cosmos.

"So bold…and certifiably arrogant of you. Is death truly so appealing to you that you'd waste your lives just to see it? There is no hope for you in this conflict, after all."

I looked at the six warriors of Cosmos before us. While I had no direct relationship with any of them, I simply had to be here for their final moment; something of a "going away party", to put it lightly. I may have never gotten to meet up with Yuna, but if we could foil the attempts of her allies…that was good enough to satisfy me…for a time.

"Sometimes…you just have to make your own hope, huh?" Balthier said, raising his weapon.

Garland laughed under his breath, putting in his two cents for whatever it was worth.

"Fools. All your "hope" will give you is an eternity of wandering the rift. The likes of you cannot hope to defeat Chaos. Crystals in hand or not…your fate is to fall."

I slammed my fists together upon the completion of his speech. I wasn't backing down no matter what. We hadn't come all the way here to be turned back by the likes of Chaos' warriors of all people. Whatever our fate was…we would face it in the end. All we cared about was that our friends got a chance later…even if meant our lives as the price.

"Are you done running your mouth yet? Like we said before…we've got some place to be." I said.

We all prepared to fight them and they did the same. This was it; one final battle before Chaos himself. Though we would have preferred to have been able to get straight to him, a little intervention would at least help us make sure we were prepared.

"Very well. If you deem yourselves so superior as to be able to stand against Chaos…allow us to test that will of yours. I think we've stood on the sidelines far too long." Garland said.

We stared them down intently as our battle was about to begin. It wasn't the confrontation we'd come for, but it would have to do. Besides, deep down…we all knew how good it would feel to put Chaos' cronies in their place.

"It couldn't hurt to touch up a little before the big guy himself." Snow said, smirking.

"Your so-called "loyalty" to your goddess is nothing but a mere illusion. The only thing driving you is your shallow ignorance. You only have yourselves to blame for the misery and despair that is to fall upon you shortly." Garland stated.

We weren't fazed by his words. We were too set on our goal now and nothing would change our minds. Now was the time we'd waited for and if we died trying…we'd already come to accept that. Looking at the brighter side…we'd be out of this horrible conflict. Truthfully…that was all I'd wanted all along.

"Enough! This ends now!" Locke said, with a stern tone.

"_Our final battle began – even though it wasn't quite the one we'd intended. Our powers collided with those of the warriors of Chaos, all the while the power of Chaos himself radiated from the far end of the Land of Discord. We knew time was short, but we had to get around one last obstacle…despite the unfortunate delay. This final struggle was all that stood in our way now and we were determined to get through it like all the others before it. However, once we'd finish… time would be our next enemy, as Chaos' power was about to reach its peak. The annihilation of Cosmos, and harmony itself, was imminent."_

***Author's Note* **_**- Obviously, this is NOT the last chapter – though, it was originally intended to be. The next chapter, however, will be the end of the story.**_


	38. As Fate Would Have It

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**As Fate Would Have It…**

"_Our fight with the warriors of Chaos ended with us victorious. But, that was only a slight altercation really. We had now lost time drastically and couldn't afford to dawdle any longer. The real fight…lay ahead."_

Garland laughed as he and his allies stood across from us.

"Well, you're not bad after all. But, as we've said before…your attempts are futile. Defeating us in no way means that you can defeat Chaos. You should have given up long ago."

"No crying because you lost." I replied, smirking proudly at our victory.

Ultimecia laughed to herself at the overconfidence we'd clearly obtained after just one fight.

"The only tears any shall be seeing are those of Cosmos upon her dear warriors' tragic demise. Though you've defeated us…your so-called "fight" with Chaos will be anything but easy. You won't be bragging for much longer."

We all stared at them intently; ready to go for more if we had to, though we knew such a thing couldn't afford to happen. Any longer standing around, and our efforts really _would _be wasted. I couldn't stand the thought of that. Snow and Locke may have gone some more, but there were bigger things at hand…in case they'd forgotten.

"Just get out of our way! If you're so anxious to see us fall, you're sure doing a good job of delaying it." Locke said.

He took his stance once again.

"Unless, of course…you want some more." he said, taunting them.

Garland and his allies looked at us in annoyance. They finally realized they couldn't stop us no matter what and let things go how they were…much to our relief.

"Very well, you fools, have it your way. Go forward…and take on Chaos for yourselves. The consequence that awaits you is befitting of ones so naïve."

He looked at his allies one last time.

"Come. Let them face the end their pride so beckons for. We're finished here."

At his words, they all departed…except for one. We slowly approached him as we saw him fading away.

"What's…happening to him?" I asked.

Snow looked at his hand in silence for a moment.

"…He's fading away. That's what happens to warriors whom fall in battle. Just like Zack told us."

He clenched his fist lightly as he closed his eyes for a moment, clearly in deep thought.

The warrior sat kneeling on the ground out of breath.

"It seems…we share the same fate…in this battle. Never once has Chaos lost a warrior in this undying conflict. I suppose…even the god of discord makes mistakes."

We stared at him in silence and sorrow – our minds now clear on the thought of what would happen to us. Seeing it before our very eyes - a visual taste of what was to come…it hit each of us hard. This truly was our final time…and we had even just a mere moment to really come to understand exactly what we'd done by pursuing Chaos.

The warrior laughed lightly before speaking his final words to us.

"Rejoice, warriors of Cosmos…even in your own defeat. Despite where you may find yourselves in the end…it's nowhere near the tragedy of this harsh battle. I myself…find no regret or pain in such an end."

Finally losing his strength completely, he faded from sight in front of us. I wanted to cry, even for him, but I held it in; instead, grabbing my amulet and holding it close as I closed my eyes. It was all I could to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. Even for an adversary, I was crying – and not just a little. Maybe it was just because I'd seen death before me. Maybe…it was because I now fully understood what we faced, and fear was taking hold again.

Still…I tried to hold back the tears, but a few still fell; seven…to be exact.

I turned around to face everybody – all lost in silence and thought about what was next. One thing remained, and despite how long we'd been waiting for this…it still had us all on edge – of anticipation…and tears. Seeing Garnet's face, though she tried to hide it, even got to me.

"Alright. Chaos is up ahead. This is what we've waited for. Let's do what we came here to do." I said.

It was an uninspiring tone, but I still had my resolve. I didn't want the others to lose theirs now either. Not before the finale.

We all looked at Snow, realizing what he was trying to do, and snapping ourselves out of our current state of mind. Now wasn't the time for thinking and wondering. We'd already done all we could as far as that went and now…it was time to make it so. Whatever else remained to ponder…it would have to be left aside. Maybe, at some point, our friends would wonder the same and finally find all the answers we'd been fighting for all along. For us, however...the story was coming to a close and it was up to us to make sure this final chapter would make everything worth it.

"Right. Are we ready?" Balthier said.

Locke nodded, followed immediately by Snow, then Zack – granted, he had words to accommodate himself.

"I'm not backing down now. Are you kidding me? We didn't do all of this for nothing. Even if we fall…our efforts won't be wasted. The only way we can really fail…is to back down now." he said.

He was right, of course, and we all knew it. The only thing standing in our way now…was ourselves; this lingering feeling of doubt and fear. It was too late for second thoughts though. We all knew what we'd chosen upon pursuing Chaos alone – without our crystals – but, we hadn't let that stop us. To do so now…would make everything up to this point totally pointless, and _that_ was far stronger than any feelings of dread.

Garnet and I were the last to respond, both with a light nod of our heads.

"Let's go." I said, softly, but in a calm voice.

We all looked ahead in the direction of Chaos with determination. No matter our fate…we'd take it head on. The only thought left on our minds, was that Cosmos and our friends could carry on later, and maybe then…we could finally and truly defeat Chaos.

Snow, Locke, Zack, and Balthier started walking as one last thought jumped to the front of my mind. I grabbed my pendant tightly as I closed my eyes, staring at the ground; one last memory of him. I just had to see his face one final time…even if I couldn't do it in person. It was too late for regret, but that wasn't what this was. I only wanted one last moment; just a quick reminder of what I was doing this for. For once…it was my turn to save _him_.

"Squall. I'm sorry." I said softly.

I couldn't say for sure, but I got the feeling Squall had heard me…or, at least sensed me in my final words to him. That was good enough for me as I hurried to catch up to the others, not realizing that Garnet still held back.

I turned around to see her standing quietly, perfectly still – like a statue. She appeared to be thinking of something or someone. Whatever thought was on her mind…it was clearly a bit deeper than mine.

"Cosmos. Please…forgive us." I said.

I waited a moment, standing there with my eyes closed. Upon a rising sensation that she'd heard my plea, I opened my eyes and looked ahead at the others. This was it. There was no turning back. I wasn't afraid anymore.

I took a deep breath.

"…Zidane."

At that moment, there was a loud rumbling sound and we all looked ahead knowing exactly what was going on. We couldn't wait any longer. If we didn't hurry…it would all be over. If it had to end now…it would end how _we_ intended – _not_ the way Chaos would have it.

"COME ON!" Snow shouted.

We all ran toward Chaos. Our final battle was about to begin.

***Author's Note* - **_**There **_**is**_** an epilogue. The last little bit will be covered then. There's also a reason why only Seymour faded away.**_


	39. Epilogue

**Dissidia 011: Undecim**

**Epilogue**

We ran as fast as we could and finally came face to face with the god of discord himself – Chaos. This was it. We'd finally made it all this way and now it was time to complete the mission Cosmos had set for us.

Chaos stared at us – that kind of piercing stare that can be felt down to your bones. It made me shiver and for a moment I'd wanted to run away. But, that wasn't going to happen now - not after all we'd been through to get here.

"That's…Chaos?" I asked, a bit intimidate by his appearance.

Cosmos had never mentioned exactly what he'd looked like. I'd never seen such a frightening face before. Apparently, the fear in my voice was a little _too_ apparent as I felt someone touch my shoulder.

"Rinoa."

I turned my head to see Zack nod at me, reminding me why we were here and who we were doing this for. I mustered up my courage again and stared back at him like the others. I couldn't be afraid. I couldn't let fear stop me now. It was now…or nothing.

"If we're gonna beat this guy, let's get to it already!" Locke said, preparing for our final bout.

I couldn't believe how, even in the face of discord itself, Locke could keep so calm. It was admirable, to say the least – and it was enough to get me going, too!

Chaos suddenly rose from his throne as he grumbled. This was it. Our final battle was about to begin.

* * *

><p>We all stood facing Chaos together for what we knew would be the last time for any of us. Deep down we knew it was a losing battle, but we had to take the chance. We'd come all this way and now it was time to do what we had come to do; what Cosmos had called upon us for. Even if we couldn't win…just the fact that we'd survived and made it this far was enough for us.<p>

"Warriors of Cosmos…you dare to challenge me? You dare to defy what is already written? Do you truly think the likes of you are a match for one such as me?"

"We're not running from this fight! Win or lose…we're in this together!" Balthier replied.

We all agreed by silence. There were no true words to say in this moment. They were meaningless now.

Chaos only laughed lightly to himself at Balthier's words.

"Very well. Then, you shall suffer a fate the likes of which you've never imagined."

We all shielded our faces as he rose into the air – a strong wind pushing against us.

"Perish! And, fall into the depths of oblivion!"

"CHAOS!" Snow shouted angrily.

He then unleashed all of his power – signifying our only chance to act if we had any hope of fulfilling our goal. I was hesitant, knowing what this action would result in…but, there was no other option; no other way but this – and so came the action that made our fate so inevitable.

"NOW!" Snow yelled.

We rushed toward Chaos – summoning the sleeping power Cosmos had bestowed upon us from deep within. The very power that would one day become the crystals we'd so desperately been seeking. It may not have been much compared to his, but though we knew what came next…the reward far outweighed the consequence.

We collided head on Chaos and his immense power as it radiated across the realm. After all was said and done…even the slightest power of harmony managed to stand a chance against the strongest power of discord. In the end, it had seemed so funny to even call it "fate": that made it sound so bad; so wrong. Truthfully, no matter how what you labeled it, there were really no words to describe this moment. Our end…was just a new beginning.

* * *

><p>Back at Sanctuary, all of our friends succumbed to Chaos' power. We had been successful in our attempts, but the fragments of it that remained were still more than enough to easily overpower them. Cosmos could only watch as they each fell around her. Our efforts had weakened Chaos enough for Cosmos' to withstand his power – which was what really mattered. As long as she didn't fall, our friends could come back again…and we'd have that next chance to set things right - for Cosmos and harmony itself; to claim victory with the true defeat of Chaos.<p>

"No!" she cried.

The last one standing, the Warrior of Light, finally fell to the ground – Chaos' power too much for him to bear any longer.

"C-Cosmos…" he said, as his last bit of strength gave way.

Though we hadn't intended for our allies to fall, it really wasn't such a consequence as they'd return for yet another battle. For us, however – the power we used to counteract Chaos' had proven to indeed be suicide. It took everything in us to hold it back, and such immense power was far too much for a group so small to handle alone. It had forced us to use all of our strength; our entire being was focused into our effort and now, at last…all that was left was about to drain completely. Our life-force was holding on by a mere shred of will – a will for one last wish that was about to be granted right then: Squall and Zidane managed to hold on just long enough to catch a glimpse of Rinoa and I and the smile that formed on our faces - our final good-bye as the six of us finally faded from existence.

Squall's face formed a quick look of shock and horror at the sight of us, but it didn't last as he and Zidane both finally and completely fell.

Her warriors having perished, Cosmos herself witnessed the grand opening to the next act as the great dragon arrived – carrying our allies to the next awaited phase - Cosmos herself being the last; a process we'd not too long ago been through ourselves, but now carried on – casting us aside as we faded away next to our friends. Whatever hope lay in defeating Chaos – it lay with them. From this moment on…it was in their hands. Though we couldn't come back to assist in the struggle once again, our efforts through this endeavor had been more than enough for everyone the next time around. And, even if the conflict in the coming cycle still stood to weigh down on them – in time, somehow, someway…we would see that victory. There were no regrets towards the things we'd done and faced. In the end…even our own demise had been worth it and nothing could take away from the sacrifice we'd made to ensure our allies' future, and the future of the world itself. The faintest glimmer of hope…still flickered in all of them.

***Author's Note*_ - The rewritten epilogue for my story! Hopefully this one is more believable and acceptable. _**


End file.
